Sheffield City Council Submission

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Submission to LGBCE consultation on boundaries

1. Introduction 1.1. This document is Sheffield City Council’s response to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (the Commission) consultation on ward boundaries for Sheffield City Council.

1.2. Sheffield City Council believes that the pattern of wards proposed in this submission is the best solution for Sheffield. They represent a pragmatic response to the current electoral inequality, whilst maintaining the best of the current sensible arrangements, with wards shaped around community identity. We have developed our warding scheme based on our extensive knowledge of the city and its communities, boosted by consultation with community groups where required. It represents a largely shared view across political groups, with only a few areas of disagreement. Where there is disagreement between the majority Labour group and minority groups, these disagreements are noted, with an appendix containing alternative proposals.

1.3. Maps of the proposed boundaries are appended at Appendix A.

2. Background 2.1. In October 2012, the Local Government Boundary Commission (the Commission) informed the Council that it was to carry out an Electoral Review of Sheffield City Council in order to deliver electoral equality for voters in local elections.

2.2. The Commission required that in determining the number of Councillors, it agreed the Council’s projected electorate for 2020. Based on Office for National Statistics data, and the methodology set out by the Commission, a projected electorate for 2020 of 415,797 was agreed with the Commission.

2.3. In March 2014 the Commission went out to public consultation on a Council size of 84 elected Members. Following the consultation, the Commission recommended in May 2014 that the Council size should remain at 84 members, and that this Council size would best ensure effective governance and decision making arrangements in the future.

3. Initial considerations 3.1. The last review involved a complete redrawing of Sheffield’s wards and there has been a view expressed by members and interested members of the public that the current wards are a good reflection of natural communities, as well as working well with

Sheffield’s geography (which is characterised by a range of hard boundaries which inevitably dictate the way communities develop and work together, and so indicate where many boundaries should lie). Further to this, a significant amount of work has taken place to create ward profiles which are used to assist service provision (for example as a basis for deciding discretionary funding levels), as well as communication being carried out through wards. As a result of this, the Council has taken the approach of retaining the current ward boundaries where possible. Where this has not been possible, current ward boundaries have been used as a starting point in developing the new pattern. Our proposal is based on a regular pattern of 28 three member wards

Population versus electorate 3.2. At the start of the review, we expressed our concerns to the Commission that using electorate rather than population size as a basis for deciding council size and particularly for deciding ward boundaries leads to councillors in some areas of the city representing significantly larger populations than those in other areas because electoral registration is lower. In particular, we expressed the concern that areas of lower registration are often those where there is increased population churn and deprivation and the social issues that tend to accompany these (including poorer health and well‐being, social cohesion challenges and high numbers of residents who find themselves in situations of crisis). All of these issues increase the workload of elected members in these areas.

3.3. We appreciate that the Commission is bound by statute on this issue, but our concern continues.

Geography 3.4. The geography of Sheffield is dominated by a range of physical features, including hills and valleys, as well as some key roads. The city can be divided into a number of ‘blocks’ bounded by the following physical features:  The Upper Don Valley, using the railway as a boundary for much of its length. This has very few crossing points.  The Lower Don Valley. This is a large area of business premises with virtually no resident population. Again we have used the main railway line as the main boundary line, though the River Don the canal, or one of the major roads could form alternatives. The railway has the advantage of running along one side of the valley so leaving the valley largely in a single ward.  Sheffield Parkway (A57/A630). This forms a strong boundary for much of its length, especially towards the city centre.  Mosborough Parkway (A57), this forms a strong boundary, particularly at its eastern end.  The Sheaf Valley. We have used the main Sheffield‐London railway line as a boundary for much of its length as there are relatively few crossing points.  The Rivelin Valley. We have also used the Rivelin Valley, which is steep sided for most of its length, again with few road links spanning the valley.  Sheffield Inner Ring Road – since the last boundary review the new Inner Relief Road has been completed, which sets a very strong boundary around the city centre.

3.5. These geographical features have a strong influence on the development of, and links between, communities, and as such they were used by the Council as a starting point when devising wards at the last review, and continue to be the logical starting point today, placing significant restriction on the possible options for developing wards. Where numbers dictate we have at points had to propose wards which cross these boundaries, though only where numbers necessitate it and where physical access is relatively easy.

Parish boundaries 3.6. Sheffield includes three parish and town councils, all in the north of the city. Bradfield Parish Council, Stocksbridge Town Council and Ecclesfield Parish Council are all large civil parishes, and their boundaries, in line with the Commission’s guidance, form the basis of ward boundaries. This necessarily influences the shape of the boundaries of the relevant wards, as well as further limiting the options for ward development across the city.

Natural communities 3.7. As might be expected in a large city, suburban neighbourhoods run into one another, often relatively seamlessly. Further, communities within much of Sheffield are diverse, and cultural and other identities often have as much influence on where an individual perceives their community to be as geography. Whilst some areas have clear district centres, others do not, and communities on the edge of the city centre in particular will look towards the centre more than to their neighbours. There is therefore, significant overlap between many communities and often no shared view of where an area’s boundaries are, or where particular roads or communities ‘look to’ – for example consultation in Sharrow some years ago showed that there were over a hundred different views on where the boundaries of the community were located, whilst in some areas with a diverse mix (for example the wards of Ecclesall and Broomhill, which have a mix of affluent families and professionals and students), some parts of the community will look to one area for their amenities, while another looks elsewhere, sometimes in different wards. We have worked to keep geographic and sometimes communities of interest together, where possible based on local knowledge.

Future‐proofing 3.8. We want these ward boundaries to be in place for the long term. The current rules work against this as they do not allow us to take into account potential new development that does not yet have planning permission in place, even where we are almost certain that house‐building will take place in the medium term. For this reason we have deliberately kept some wards (notably in and around the city centre and wards in the south east of the city) well below the average, as we anticipate that there will be further population increases in these wards which have not been taken into account in the forecasts. In other areas, where we are comfortable that significant development is not anticipated, we are proposing electorate levels which are at a higher variance from the ward average if it improves natural communities, and particularly where communities have explicitly requested particular boundaries. In the vast majority of cases electoral variances are no

more than 5% from the average, and in all cases are within the 10% variance allowed by the Commission.

Projected build and demolitions 3.9. The projected elector population figures agreed with the Commission have taken into account the best available estimates relating to new build housing that will come into occupation between now and 2020 based on planning permissions as at March 2014. There are no significant proposals for demolitions. Although other future planning cannot be taken into account in the electoral forecast, we are also conscious that our Strategic Housing Needs Assessment indicates the need for between 2000‐2500 houses to be built each year for the next decade. Whilst it is possible that some of this growth will be accommodated in neighbouring districts, there is likely to be continued growth across much of the city. We have taken into consideration proposed housing sites in the Sheffield and Rotherham Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment when considering future development possibility in different areas.

City Centre 3.10. As happened between the last review in 2002 and the current review, growth in the Central ward in particular is likely to continue to be significant, although it is not anticipated that development will be to the same extent as in the last decade. Whilst, as in 2002, discussions with the Commission have established that we cannot take these unknown dwellings into account in the forecasts, we have sought to keep the City Centre to the lower end of the permitted variance to minimise the risk of a further early review.

Greenbelt review 3.11. The Council is at the start of a review of the city’s Green Belt as part of a new Local Plan. Whilst the outcome of the new plan is unknown at this stage, with consultation on options not taking place until next year, we need to be aware of the potential for this review to impact on building activity in some areas of the city. We have therefore kept wards where there are significant levels of Green Belt land with a lower number of electors than the city average where possible. The exception to this is wards which reach into the Peak District National Park where it is considered that it is less likely, although not impossible, that significant building development will take place.

Individual electoral registration 3.12. The transition to Individual Electoral Registration has now started. Although plans are in place to increase levels of registration in areas which are likely to experience reductions in registration, we anticipate that initially IER may affect electoral registration levels, exacerbating lower levels of registration in areas with a transient population and those that have high levels of registration. Over a timeframe of several years, we expect development levels in the areas where this is likely to have most significant effects

(particularly the city centre) to counteract any reduction in registration levels and so we have not factored this into our considerations above and beyond the general aim to keep wards within 5% of the average where possible.

4. Process

Member involvement

4.1. During the development of draft boundaries, officers have worked closely with councillors from all political groups which have wished to engage with the process. Timescales for the review meant that the development of boundaries has taken place both before and after the local elections in 2014.

4.2. Councillors were asked to let officers know about any issues with current ward boundaries so that these could be addressed as part of the review. No issues were raised.

4.3. In the run up to the elections in May 2014 there were two political groups (Labour and Liberal Democrat), and two Green Party members. Councillors from both groups attended workshops (one for each group) to consider an initial draft of proposed boundaries, as well as drop in sessions, and a similar workshop was also held with Green party members. Following the election, the number of Green party members increased by two and three UKIP councillors were also elected to wards in the north of the city. All political groups were invited to workshops to discuss the next round of boundaries and councillors from three of the four political groups have been involved in workshops.

4.4. In addition to workshops, officers have consulted the leaders of all groups on the final proposals via the Corporate Members Governance Group and points of disagreement with the administration’s proposals are noted in this submission.

Community consultation

4.5. The Council has facilitated some initial public consultation on behalf of the Commission. At the council size stage we visited parish and town councils and invited a range of organisations and individuals to give evidence to a meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee and share their views on the number of councillors who should make up the Council. At this stage we also invited comments from these individuals and groups as well as from councillors and parish and town councils about whether existing wards worked well or areas where change was needed. The general view given was that wards worked well, having been developed following rigorous consultation only ten years previously.

4.6. During the development of boundaries, we have continued to seek views from outside the Council to inform our submission. In particular we have offered to meet with affected community groups in wards where a third or more of electors may move wards. This invitation has been taken up by groups from three geographical areas (Broomhill Forum; Sheffield City Centre Residents’ Action Group and Ecclesall Ward Forum; Broomhill Group of Groups and Broomhall Homework Club) , with Nether Edge Neighbourhood Group including an item on the proposals in their newsletter and further communication with the Bradway Action Group which did not fall within this criteria but had concerns about the boundary of their neighbourhood being split at the last review. A citywide group, Sheffield for Democracy, has also commented on our initial proposals. We have also kept in regular contact with the Parish and Town councils, and they have been supportive of our proposals to keep the wards affecting them unchanged.

4.7. The Commission will of course undertake further consultation when it publishes its draft boundaries in October.

5. Warding pattern

Overview

5.1. As set out above, in addition to the three statutory criteria, our warding pattern has been developed using three additional principles:

a. That Sheffield should retain a single ward covering the city centre rather than splitting the city centre between a number of separate wards (as had been the case before the last review). This decision reflects the concerns that were put forward by elected members about the difficulty experienced in the past of representing wards which included both city centre and suburbs. b. That the existing warding pattern was thought to work well overall, and there was not a compelling case for change except where necessary because of electoral inequality. c. That the warding pattern should be ‘future‐proofed’ as far as possible. Practically this means that we have not generally suggested wards with variances of more than 5% and have tried to take into account the potential for future development even where this is not reflected in the electorate forecasts.

5.2. Given this, our starting point for developing the warding pattern was to consider Central ward, which had an extreme variance of 43%. This meant that we had to move a large number of electors from Central ward. Wards to the north west and north east of Central were largely in balance and worked well, and therefore we decided that it was more sensible to make changes to wards to the south west and south instead as some of these wards had reasonably large variances (e.g. Broomhill and Darnall) and would require changes in any event.

5.3. This has meant that our proposed warding pattern closely resembles the current pattern in the north of the city, but has some fairly significant changes in the south. These changes tend to be less acute further from the city centre (for example proposed wards such as Dore and Totley, and Beauchief and Greenhill are very similar to the existing wards).

5.4. Our proposals are set out in more detail below. As mentioned in paragraph 3.4 we have divided the city into sectors which are largely bounded by the hard physical features of the city. The characteristics and commonalities of each sector are introduced as a whole, with further detail at ward level.

North West 5.5 The North West of the City is bounded by the northern boundary with Barnsley, Stocksbridge to Sheffield, the River Loxley and River Rivelin to the Peak District. This sector comprises the current wards of Stocksbridge and Upper Don, Stannington, and Hillsborough. The Rivelin Valley is steep‐sided, with few crossing points and little linkage between communities, and forms a clear and natural boundary between this sector and the rest of the city. In addition to the physical boundaries, ward boundaries in the North West of the city are also heavily influenced by the boundaries of Bradfield Parish Council and Stockbridge Town Council.

5.6 Predominantly rural and encompassing parts of the Peak District National Park, the main urban areas in this part of the city are Stocksbridge and Deepcar in the north and Hillsborough in the south. Stannington, Loxley, Worrall and Oughtibridge skirt the edge of Hillsborough and small villages such as Bradfield, Dungworth, Wharncliffe Side, Ewden and Midhopestones dot the countryside to the west.

5.7 Reflecting the relatively stable population of the area, and the strong and discrete communities, as well as the general view from councillors that the existing wards work well, we are not proposing any change to the North Western wards in the city.

Ward 1: Stocksbridge and Upper Don Electorate 2013: 14,524 (2.39%) Electorate 2020: 15,254 (2.72%)

Proposed ward boundaries Given the stable electorate close to the city average, and the fact that the existing ward works well, the proposed boundaries for this ward are exactly the same as the current ward of the same name. This ward would include the larger communities of Stocksbridge, Deepcar, Oughtibridge, and Wharncliffe Side, as well as a number of smaller rural villages (Midhopestones, Ewden, and Bolsterstone). The ward would be bounded by the city boundary to the north and west, by the Bradfield and Ecclesfield parish boundaries to the south and east, and field boundaries for the remainder. This would continue to be a largely rural ward, and geographically very large.

Broader context and rationale Stocksbridge represents a distinct community, physically separate from the rest of the city. It is also an important retail and leisure hub for the range of smaller communities around it. The main shopping district in Stocksbridge also includes the library and town hall in the valley bottom, with other community facilities located across the area. Principle bus routes run through the ward between Stocksbridge and the city centre. It therefore makes sense for Stocksbridge to be the focal point for this ward.

Stocksbridge is connected to the city centre by a number of buses and also has a dedicated Supertram bus link (which also runs through Oughtibridge) connecting it with the tram terminus at Middlewood. These transport links serve to further connect the communities in this part of the city, again giving weight to the argument that this forms a coherent ward.

Proposed ward characteristics The Stocksbridge and Upper Don Ward contains the Stocksbridge, Deepcar, Oughtibridge, Wharncliffe Side neighbourhoods. The ward also includes the villages of Bolsterstone, Midhopestones and Ewden and a part of the Peak Park – Midhope, Howden and Broomhead moors. The smaller villages all have strong links to Stocksbridge – Bolsterstone and Ewden are within the Town Council area.

The distance from the city centre means that the communities in the ward are relatively self‐ contained, and that they generally look to Stocksbridge for amenities and services. The main shopping district in Stocksbridge also includes the library and town hall in the valley bottom, with other community facilities located across the area. Principle bus routes run through the ward between Stocksbridge and the city centre. Oughtibridge is located a mile and a half beyond the Middlewood Supertram terminus.

Stocksbridge itself is a linear town along the Upper Don Valley bottom, which traditionally focused on the steel industry, and still hosts a large steel works which continues to be a focus for employment in the town. Housing is a mix of council and private estates with pockets of deprivation. New housing has been developed up the steep hillside as the area has grown.

Deepcar is a popular commuter village located to the east of Stocksbridge clinging to the steep side of the upper Don Valley. Deepcar’s growth as a commuter village for Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley and to a lesser extent Manchester, continues to generate significant development pressure, although it is not forecast that this will lead to significant increases in electors over the review period.

Oughtibridge is in the Parish of Bradfield about half way between the city and Stocksbridge, and on the main road between the two. Wharncliffe Side is a small village on the floor of the Don Valley on the main road (A6102) between Oughtibridge and Deepcar. Oughtibridge and Wharncliffe Side grew with local farming communities and continued to grow with demand for homes for workers in the various industries located in the Upper Don Valley since the 1800s.

Within the Stocksbridge Ward the rural areas includes Broomhead Moor and Reservoir, Howden Moors, Midhope Moors, Hingcliff Hill and the Upper Derwent Valley. The small number of residents of these very rural areas face different issues to elsewhere in Sheffield; communities in the area have limited access to local services such as schools, health care, shops and post offices and local young people have difficulty finding affordable homes. However, the area is popular and competition is high for properties and potential development opportunities.

Consultation Stocksbridge Town Council has been consulted throughout the process and is supportive of the proposals. The entire of Stocksbridge Town Council is included within Stocksbridge and Upper Don ward.

Ward 2: Stannington Electorate 2013: 14,418 (1.64%) Electorate 2020: 14,927 (0.52%)

Proposed ward boundaries

Given the stable electorate close to the city average, and the fact that the existing ward works well, the proposed boundaries for this ward are almost exactly the same as the current ward of the same name.

The Stannington Ward is geographically largely rural, although most of the population lives in suburban neighbourhoods in the east of the ward, with the main communities being Stannington, Loxley, Woodland View, Worrall, and part of Middlewood, as well as smaller communities throughout the ward.

The ward as proposed is defined by the city boundary on its western edge, and by field boundaries to the north. Much of the rest of its boundary to the east, and south west is coterminous with the Bradfield parish boundary. The only differences with the parish boundary are to the south east where the community of Lower Stannington is included. The boundary with Walkley ward follows the A6101 Rivelin Valley Road which follows the Rivelin Valley bottom and represents a hard boundary between the two communities (this represents a slight amendment to the current boundary to ensure that the whole of Rivelin Valley Park is in Stannington ward, reducing duplication of work for councillors). Past Walkley ward the boundary follows the River Rivelin itself as far as the Rivelin dams where it rejoins the parish boundary. The ward would continue to be large and rural in the main, although with more suburban areas in Stannington itself.

Broader context and rationale The proposed Stannington ward consists of a number of communities based, in the main part, on either side of the Loxley valley, including Lower Stannington, Stannington village and Loxley. These communities, along with Worrall and Middlewood tend to look towards the neighbouring district centre of Hillsborough for most amenities, although each have a range of facilities themselves, including Bradfield Secondary School in Worrall. The ward also includes a number of more isolated rural communities including the two Bradfield villages. As a whole the ward appears to work well with the distinct communities brought together by the Loxley valley and the main radial routes culminating eventually in Hillsborough.

Proposed ward characteristics Stannington in the west and Worrall in the north are surrounded by open green landscape. Loxley Common is situated north of Loxley toward Worrall. Loxley Valley runs from east to west, overlooked by Loxley and Woodland View. Local amenities vary throughout the area and the neighbouring district of Hillsborough acts as a district centre with a variety of shops and services, including a supermarket. Worrall has a pub, post office and Bradfield Secondary School but has relatively low access to services due to its remoteness. The Supertram and Supertram link buses serve the east of the ward at Malin Bridge, Middlewood and Stannington.

Stannington, Loxley and Worrall were originally villages in their own right. Now only Worrall remains separated from the urban area. There is a mix of housing across the area with

10 predominantly privately owned inter‐war semi‐detached housing. There is a mix of privately owned homes in Loxley and predominantly older properties in Worrall. There are pockets of social housing in Stannington which fall within the top 20% most deprived areas in England around the Deer Parks and Liberty Hill areas in Woodland View. This neighbourhood has Victorian terraced housing at Malin Bridge diversifying into modern housing along Wood Lane and Stannington Road, culminating in three distinctive tower blocks at Deer Park.

The grounds of the old Middlewood hospital have been converted into modern owner‐ occupier housing in recent years, and this part of Middlewood is included in the Stannington ward. The rest of Middlewood is in Hillsborough ward.

Consultation Bradfield Parish Council has been consulted throughout the process and is supportive of the proposals.

Ward 3: Hillsborough Electorate 2013: 14,114 (‐0.50%) Electorate 2020: 14,681 (‐1.14%)

Proposed ward boundaries Given the stable electorate close to the city average, and the fact that the existing ward works well, the proposed boundaries for this ward are almost exactly the same as the current ward of the same name. Hillsborough is bounded by the Bradfield Parish boundary to the west and a railway line following the route of the Upper Don Valley to the east. This in particular represents a very hard boundary between communities with few crossing points. From Malin Bridge, the boundary follows the River Loxley to the end of Holme Lane, then along Bradfield Road.

Broader context and rationale Hillsborough is a major district centre and provides a focal point for the whole of the north west of Sheffield. It is a distinct community in its own right, but also forms a major transport hub for the whole of the north of the city with tram and bus lines converging there. It is also at the confluence of a number of valleys (including the Don and Loxley) meaning that there are a number of hard physical boundaries which define the ward. We therefore believe that the ward continues to make sense at a community level, and should be left largely unchanged.

Proposed ward characteristics The Ward consists of the Hillsborough, Wadsley and Wisewood neighbourhoods and part of Middlewood, as well as a large area of industrial land in the Upper Don Valley.

Hillsborough is the retail, leisure and transport hub of north‐west Sheffield, connected by Supertram, bus and dual carriageway to the rest of the city. Hillsborough has the largest suburban shopping centre in South Yorkshire and a Town Centre Strategy has been developed to improve the facilities. The area includes an historic park, Sheffield Wednesday Football Ground, Hillsborough Leisure Centre, and Owlerton Stadium. Housing in Hillsborough is mainly owner‐occupied, including smaller terraced housing and the imposing Regents Court flats.

The 1960s Winn Gardens Estate to the north of the ward in Middlewood is made up of maisonettes and town houses. There are active tenants and community organisations in this area.

Wadsley is a well‐established residential area with avenues of early 20th century semi‐detached houses. The Wisewood Estate was Council built in the 1920’s, although around 50% is now owner occupied. Traditionally known as the 'Button Estate’, Wisewood is increasingly becoming home to older tenants and younger families with growing levels of social need. The William Sutton Trust Estate is adjacent and consists of similar housing built and run by a social landlord.

North East Like the North West, the North East of the city has remained relatively stable, with the exception of Burngreave which has seen its electorate increase slightly disproportionately, and neighbouring Southey, which has not increased in population at the same rate. Both of these wards require some adjustment as a result. As with the North West, the geography of the area encourages the creation of six wards largely bounded by two hard boundaries, the upper Don Valley railway line from Stocksbridge to Sheffield and the lower Don Valley railway line from Sheffield to Rotherham. Existing wards are considered to have worked well, and so it proposed to largely retain the current boundaries except for a change to the Burngreave/Southey border to balance the discrepancies there and to improve the wards and two very minor changes to Firth Park.

At the northernmost part of this sector, the parish of Ecclesfield influences the shape of the wards, with the parish boundaries forming the basis of two wards, East and West Ecclesfield.

Ward 4: West Ecclesfield Electorate 2013: 14,192 (0.05%) Electorate 2020: 14,572 (‐1.87%)

Proposed ward boundary West Ecclesfield is shaped by the requirement to use parish boundaries as building blocks of wards, and is coterminous with the western boundaries of Ecclesfield Parish Council (the parish is divided between East and West Ecclesfield). The northern and western boundaries of the ward are defined by the city boundary. The remaining boundary between East and West Ecclesfield is largely influenced by the need to ensure electoral equality and to work with the parish boundary more than by natural communities or single geographical features. This is particularly the case between the contiguous communities of High Green and Chapeltown, although the boundary is defined by the Charlton Brook for part of its length, which represents a more natural dividing line between the two.

Although not strictly ideal, there is a sense that the ward works as well as any possible alternative (the Commission will note that this was extensively discussed during the last boundary review), and because the ward is forecast to remain within 5% of the city average, we are not proposing any change to West Ecclesfield ward.

Broader context and rationale As stated above, the ward boundary between the two Ecclesfield wards is not ideal, but is the best solution identified to date given the various constraints in this part of the city. Notwithstanding this, the ward does have coherence bringing together a number of communities primarily accessible from the A61 Penistone Road, a major transport route for the city.

Proposed ward characteristics West Ecclesfield Ward is made up of communities living in the High Green, Burncross and Grenoside neighbourhoods. All used to be villages in their own right and retain many of their distinctive features setting them apart from the urban area of north east Sheffield. Residents have good access to open fields and countryside including at Greno Woods, which makes up a large part of the west of the ward. The A61 Penistone Road, a key transport link to the M1 and major trans‐pennine routes, runs through Grenoside, although the main village centre is to the west of the A61.

High Green is Sheffield's most northerly suburban neighbourhood. New developments blur its boundary with Chapeltown. A third of residents live in social housing; at the heart of the area is a large council estate surrounded by private housing. Part of High Green falls within the top 10% most deprived areas in the country and has been the focus of health and community development activity.

The established and stable Burncross population lives predominantly in owner occupied private houses. Grenoside has a mix of housing types and tenures, including post war social housing and new developments and old, stone‐built cottages from the original village. There is a strong sense of identity in the neighbourhood with active community groups and organisations.

Consultation Ecclesfield Parish Council has been consulted on the proposed boundaries and is content with the arrangements continuing.

Ward 5: East Ecclesfield Electorate 2013: 14,358 (1.22%) Electorate 2020: 14,735 (‐0.78%)

Proposed ward boundary Given the stable electorate close to the city average, and the fact that the existing ward works reasonably well, the proposed boundaries for this ward are exactly the same as the current ward of the same name. As with West Ecclesfield, East Ecclesfield is shaped by the requirement to use parish boundaries as building blocks of wards, and is also bounded by the city boundary to the east. As such, the boundary with West Ecclesfield is shaped more by electoral equality and the parish boundaries than by natural communities. In order to enable electoral equality, the ward also includes the neighbourhood of Colley which is outside of the parish boundary, with Tongue Gutter/Hartley Brook forming a clear boundary with Shiregreen and Brightside ward to the south

The remaining boundary between East and West Ecclesfield is largely influenced by the need to ensure electoral equality and to work with the parish boundary more than by natural communities or single geographical features. This is particularly the case between the contiguous communities of High Green and Chapeltown, although the boundary is defined by the Charlton Brook for part of its length, which represents a more natural dividing line between the two.

Although not strictly ideal, there is a sense that the ward works as well as any possible alternative (the Commission will note that this was extensively discussed during the last boundary review), and therefore we are not proposing any changes to the boundaries of East Ecclesfield.

Broader context and rationale As stated above, the ward boundary between the two Ecclesfield wards is not ideal, but is the best solution identified to date given the various constraints in this part of the city. Notwithstanding this, the ward does have coherence, bringing together the two large communities of Ecclesfield and Chapeltown, which are linked by Barnsley Road – a major arterial route in the north of the city, which also provides high frequency public transport links between the two areas.

Proposed ward characteristics East Ecclesfield Ward contains the neighbourhoods of Chapeltown, Ecclesfield and Colley. There is a sizeable shopping centre in Chapeltown which acts as a district centre for the ward, and a major

14 supermarket serves Ecclesfield. The ward is well served by public transport with buses to the city centre and good access to the M1 motorway and trans‐pennine routes. There are local parks in Ecclesfield and Chapeltown. Colley Park is visible on the skyline and the Tongue Gutter Valley running across the south of the ward is distinctive. Chapeltown has a railway station with services to West Yorkshire, Sheffield and Meadowhall.

Chapeltown and Ecclesfield have recently expanded with new house building and a mix of private and council owned estates.

Colley is predominantly a residential neighbourhood with a mix of council and private owned and rented housing. It falls within the top 20% most deprived areas in England.

Consultation Ecclesfield Parish Council has been consulted on the proposed boundaries and is content with the current arrangements continuing.

Ward 6: Shiregreen and Brightside Electorate 2013: 14,640 (3.21%) Electorate 2020: 15,152 (2.04%)

The ward is bounded by the city boundaries to the east along the M1, and the Ecclesfield Parish boundary to the north. To the south, the boundary is defined by the Lower Don Valley along Meadowhall Road, and then by the sharply rising Upwell Street before skirting round the back of Wincobank Wood, and following Shiregreen Lane past the open spaces of Concord Park and down Hatfield House Lane before rejoining the main arterial route of Barnsley Road up to Tongue Gutter. The boundary along Jenkin Road as far as Hatfield House Lane effectively runs along the ridge line of a hill, separating the communities of Wincobank and Shiregreen from Firth Park.

Broader context and rationale The Shiregreen and Brightside ward contains three distinct communities living in Shiregreen, Wincobank, and Brightside neighbourhoods. Although the three communities are distinct, because of the topography of the area they constitute a coherent ward, with none of the three communities ‘split’ with another ward. Local shopping facilities have declined due to the loss of industry and the proximity of Meadowhall, just over the border in Darnall ward, and as such there is no distinct district centre in the area. Residents have access to green spaces including Concord Park and Wincobank Wood .There is also a leisure centre at Concord. The percentage of people living in deprived areas is far above the Sheffield average; much of the Shiregreen area is within the top 10 % most deprived areas in the country and some of the area within the top 5 % most severely deprived.

Proposed ward characteristics Shiregreen is a large tree‐lined dense, social housing estate, built by the council in response to demand for social housing in the 1930’s. There is little variation in housing type and nearly half of the properties have been bought through 'right to buy'. There are two local shopping areas at Nethershire and Hartley Brook.

Wincobank is adjacent to the Meadowhall Shopping Centre and junction 34 of the M1 motorway. It clings to the side of a steep hillside above the River Don. It has an older population, living in traditional terraced housing. Like the rest of the ward Wincobank is a deprived community.

Brightside is in the southern section of the ward and is a mix of fragmented industrial and residential developments next to the transport corridor formed by the railway and Brightside Lane. The Iron Age fort of Wincobank Hill is a distinctive feature. The area has no natural neighbourhood centre as a result of topography and the proximity of the area to Meadowhall.

Ward 7: Firth Park Electorate 2013: 14,284 (0.70%) Electorate 2020: 14,985 (0.91%)

Proposed ward boundary Given the stable electorate close to the city average, and the fact that the existing ward works reasonably well, the proposed boundaries for this ward are almost exactly the same as the current ward of the same name. The northern boundary of the ward follows the Tongue Gutter rather than the midpoint of Deerland Avenue as in the current boundary, to ensure that both sides of Deerlands Avenue are in the same ward, and because Tongue Gutter is a fixed geographical boundary. The western boundary is formed by Adlington Road – one of the main roads through the Parson Cross estate, before continuing to run south down Southey Hill and Galsworthy Road. The southern boundary is formed by Herries Road which is one of the main east‐west routes in the north of the city, before skirting behind Northern General Hospital and along the back of Firth Park itself and Wincobank Wood along the boundary with Shiregreen and Brightside. The north eastern boundary follows the steep rise of the hill up Jenkin Road and Shiregreen Lane before meeting the busy Barnsley Road at Hatfield House Lane, which forms the strong north eastern boundary of the ward.

Broader context and rationale While Firth Park Ward includes communities living in the Longley, Old Parson Cross, Southey Green, Stubbin and Brushes, Firth Park, and Flower neighbourhoods, Firth Park district shopping centre is the main focus for service delivery in the area, with a library, Children’s Centre, a GP surgery, Post Office and advice centre. Southey Green/Moonshine Lane roundabout also has many services and falls into the ward. Residents have access to green space at Firth Park itself. There is also a significant amount of public land at Wincobank Woods in the east, Longley Park and Four Greens in the west, Colley Park on the northern skyline and Tongue Gutter Valley on the northern border. Firth Park is well served by public transport and is a hub for the north of the city. Given all of this, Firth Park constitutes a coherent set of communities focused around one larger and one slightly smaller district centres, and therefore continues to represent a sensible ward.

Proposed ward characteristics There is a small distinctive area of Victorian housing in Firth Park, a small part of which falls in the Burngreave Ward. The majority of the housing in the rest of the ward is council‐built and either continues to be social housing or has been acquired under Right to Buy.

Stubbin and Brushes is made up of two 1930’s housing estates designed in a distinctive garden village style. The neighbourhood mainly consists of council housing, with some recent demolition having taken place. The Flower Estate in the east was the first social housing development

16 constructed by the City Council in the early 1900s. This neighbourhood retains the distinctive character of its original design and has a strong community identity.

Old Parson Cross is a predominantly residential neighbourhood and the east of the neighbourhood is in the Firth Park Ward, which includes Parson Cross Park and Sheffield Lane Dyke leading on from Tongue Gutter Valley in Southey Ward.

Ward 8: Foxhill and Chaucer Electorate 2013: 14,361 (1.25%) Electorate 2020: 14,911 (0.41%)

Proposed Ward Boundary The proposed Foxhill and Chaucer ward is largely comprised of what was previously known as Southey ward. Given the stable electorate close to the city average, and the fact that the existing ward works reasonably well, the proposed boundaries for this ward are almost exactly the same as the current Southey ward. The ward is bounded to the west by the railway and Ecclesfield Parish Council boundaries for much of its northern boundary. To the east it is bounded by Tongue Gutter, skirting the edge of Parson Cross Park, with the Adlington Road/Southey Hill/Galsworthy Road axis forming much of its eastern boundary (which also serves as the boundary between Old and New Parson Cross), before meeting Herries Road – a main east‐west road for the north of the city – before heading steeply down towards the Upper Don Valley, which forms its western boundary with Hillsborough ward. The proposed ward includes a small area at Parkwood Springs in the south around Penrith Road and Longley Avenue, which is both a better community fit with Foxhill and Chaucer than Burngreave ward, and also means both wards are closer to electoral equality.

It is proposed to change the name of the ward from Southey to Foxhill and Chaucer because the streets including the name Southey are located in neighbouring Firth Park ward, and the current name causes confusion. The two neighbourhoods of Foxhill and Chaucer make up the majority of the ward and together are felt to provide a recognisable name.

Broader Context and Rationale Foxhill and Chaucer is made up of communities living in Fox Hill, New Parson Cross, Old Parson Cross and Southey Green neighbourhoods. Although distinct, these communities share a number of common characteristics including their large areas of social housing. Parts of Foxhill and Chaucer include some of the most deprived areas of the city. There are a number of small district centres, including at Southey Green and at Margetson Crescent in the north east of the ward, which has seen substantial regeneration and investment in the past few years. Although the busy A61 Penistone Road bisects the ward, the whole area is served by Chaucer School, which serves to unify the area. The north of the ward is served by Yewlands School.

Proposed ward characteristics Southey Green, New Parson Cross and the area of Old Parson Cross north of Deerlands Avenue consists mainly of council housing and some demolitions have taken place to make way for new housing, including the recent development of new homes through the Sheffield Housing Company .

Foxhill to the west of the ward on the hill on the other side of the A61 is more of a mix, with a predominance of Council housing in the northern half and owner‐occupiers in the southern half.

Ward 9: Burngreave Electorate 2013: 14,913 (5.14%) Electorate 2020: 15,376 (3.54%)

Proposed Ward Boundary Burngreave ward currently has 10% more electors than the city average and therefore, although the ward broadly works well, some small changes are proposed to the existing boundaries of the ward of the same name. The western boundary of the new ward is defined along its length by the steep sides of the Upper Don Valley down as far as Neepsend and Kelham Island almost to the city centre. The northern boundary joins Herries Road slightly further east than the present boundary, leaving the Penrith Road area in Foxhill and Chaucer ward. The northern boundary then follows Herries Road before skirting behind the Northern General Hospital (leaving the hospital in Burngreave ward), before running south of Firth Park and Wincobank Wood and down the hillside to join the main Lower Don Valley railway line at Upwell Street. The southeastern boundary of the ward is formed by this railway line, which constitutes a fixed physical boundary with few crossing points, all the way as far as Attercliffe Road, at which point the river itself becomes the boundary as far as the city centre.

Broader Context and Rationale Burngreave ward works well as an entity, and retains the majority of the borders decided at the 2004 review with the exception of the removal of the area around Tyneham Street and Parkwood Academy, which has been included within the new Foxhill and Chaucer ward to improve the councillor/electorate ratio of Burngreave, and because this area looks more towards Foxhill and Chaucer than it does to Burngreave.

The ward itself is focused around the district centres at Burngreave and Fir Vale. It is the most diverse ward in the city, and also includes areas of high deprivation. It is bound together by a number of key transport routes, including most importantly Barnsley Road, which runs up Spital Hill from the city centre towards Northern General Hospital. The area has been the focus of major regeneration projects over the last few years, including Burngreave New Deal for Communities, and most of the area is covered by a community newspaper, the Burngreave Messanger. Fir Vale has seen an increasing number of new arrivals from eastern Europe (particularly Slovak Roma people) following the expansion of the European Union.

Proposed ward characteristics Burngreave consists of the neighbourhoods of Woodside, Burngreave, Abbeyfield and Fir Vale. The ward has a wide range of housing tenures, with privately owned properties including inter‐war semi‐ detached at Firshill, large Victorian houses in Abbeyfield, and Victorian properties along Barnsley Road and in Fir Vale along with high density terraces. Council housing is situated in Shirecliffe and Firshill and Woodside near the Burngreave Children’s Centre.

There is a district shopping centre at Spital Hill, and Firth Park shopping centre lies just north of the ward boundary. Smaller shopping centres are located in Fir Vale on Page Hall, Owler Lane, Pitsmoor Road and Barnsley Road.

Consultation The Burngreave Messenger noted in communication that the new boundary will mean that the whole ward is covered by their newspaper as they do not cover the area around Parkwood Academy.

South East Seven wards lie mainly to the south of the main Sheffield to London railway lines, and we are proposing changes to all of them except Mosborough. Darnall is largely bounded by railways and hard boundaries and is 11.98% larger than average, and forecast to be 11.15% larger by 2020. We have therefore made proposals to alter the boundaries of Darnall, which cause some knock on effects elsewhere. The four wards in the South East of the city Woodhouse, Beighton, Birley and Mosborough) have seen relatively slow population growth in recent years, and currently all have lower than average electorates but have potential for growth in the short to medium term. This area has relatively high levels of Green Belt land which has resulted in relatively low growth, but a review of the Green Belt and the potential for a new high speed rail link means that this area has potential for increased population growth in the city over the next decade. As a result, we have intentionally created wards in this sector of the city which are smaller than average (the much increased size of Mosborough was the reason for the last review in 2002 following new development).

The councillors for wards in this area tend to work closely together, sharing similar communities and issues.

Also included in this sector are Richmond, Manor Castle, and Park and Arbourthorne wards.

Ward 10: Darnall Electorate 2013: 13,502 (‐4.81%) Electorate 2020: 14,024 (‐5.56%)

Proposed ward boundary Darnall ward is currently the second largest ward in the city in terms of electorate at 11.98% over the ward average. Since our forecasts were developed, further development is also anticipated for the area east of Handsworth, and this, along with continued population growth in Darnall makes it imperative to move Handsworth out of Darnall ward, taking the boundary along the more natural boundary of the railway and retaining the remaining neighbourhoods.

We are therefore proposing some significant changes to Darnall. The proposed ward boundary follows the city boundary along its eastern side, including the area of Tinsley to the east of the motorway, up to the point the city boundary meets the A616 Sheffield Parkway to the south of the ward, which is the major link road between the motorway and the city. The boundary follows the Parkway all the way in towards the city centre before heading slightly north east to follow the railway line as far as the River Don. It then follows the river out of town before picking up the railway as its boundary as far as Meadowhall before once again following the river for a short length up to the M1. The ward therefore has very hard and distinct boundaries all the way round, and in that sense represents an improvement on the previous ward, which included parts of Handsworth to the south.

Broader context and rationale As set out above, Darnall is well bounded on all sides. It is also a large ward, comprising a number of distinct communities along the Lower Don Valley, separated by large areas of industrial land. The main residential areas are Darnall itself, Acres Hill, Bowden Housteads, Greenland, Attercliffe and Tinsley. The ward is brought together by a number of key physical features, including the Upper Don Valley, and associated rail, road and tram routes that run along it. Prince of Wales Road provides another key transport axis running north south across the ward from the Parkway to Attercliffe

Common. The ward is of key strategic importance to the city as a whole, both as a key economic area, but also in terms of providing leisure and sporting facilities (including Sheffield Arena, Centertainment, English Institute of Sport, Don Valley Bowl etc.). The ward also includes Tinsley Park Golf Course and the Meadowhall Shopping Centre lie within its boundaries.

The population of the ward is one of the most culturally diverse in the city. Large Pakistani, Yemeni and Somali communities live around Staniforth Road and Darnall. There are also large Pakistani communities at High Hazels Park and in the lower, older end of Tinsley.

A number of community organisations work across the ward, including Darnall Forum and Darnall Well Being.

Proposed ward characteristics There are proposed to be a number of distinct communities in the Ward, including Darnall, Tinsley, Housteads, and Acres Hill. As noted above, large parts of the ward are dedicated to transport, industrial and commercial uses, meaning that some of the residential communities are isolated from one another.

There is a mix of housing across the ward. Social housing accounts for half of housing in the Darnall neighbourhood, with a majority of owner occupied inter‐war brick built semi‐detached in Housteads.

Private owner occupied and rented terraces are located in Tinsley. The M1 motorway is the predominant feature bisecting Tinsley and geographically isolating the community from the rest of the ward and the city.

Along Handsworth Road and around High Hazels is also private owner occupied housing and rented terraces. Acres Hill is predominantly council owned housing, with some privately owned homes along Prince of Wales Road.

As well as the Meadowhall Shopping Centre, there are local shopping facilities in Attercliffe, Darnall and Handsworth and good access to Meadowhall from Tinsley. High Hazels Park acts as a central leisure space for the ward.

Ward 11: Woodhouse Electorate 2013: 13,505 (‐4.80%) Electorate 2020: 13,924 (‐6.23%)

Proposed ward boundary The current boundaries of Woodhouse include Woodhouse and part of Handsworth, with the remaining part of Handsworth in Darnall. The ward is currently ‐5.1% under‐sized and based on our electoral forecast is proposed to be ‐6.23% under‐sized by 2020. Neighbouring Darnall ward is currently 12% over the ward average, with a relatively high level of expected population growth, including some large proposed developments which could come forward in the next 5‐20 years. Therefore it is imperative that the size of Darnall is reduced and that of Woodhouse increased, and so we are proposing significant changes to Woodhouse’s boundary.

The proposed boundary follows the city boundary for the whole of its length from Sheffield Parkway to the A57 Mosborough Parkway, which it follows for a distance before turning north. It then separates the Coisley Hill neighbourhood (now in Richmond ward) from Woodhouse village itself,

21 before re‐joining the Mosborough Parkway, which it then follows all the way to its junction with the Sheffield Parkway, which forms the ward boundary all the way to the edge of the city

Broader context and rationale These proposed boundaries would keep Woodhouse moderately smaller than the city average, which gives room for growth if the development east of Handsworth is granted planning permission (although recognising that it would be likely to take many years for the entirety of a large development to come to completion). The new ward would be a significant improvement on the current arrangements as it would keep the whole of Handsworth together in one ward, along with the village of Woodhouse (although the adjoining neighbourhood of Coisley Hill has been moved into Richmond ward). The ward is coherent, with a number of shared facilities – including Handsworth Grange School. The two communities are also linked by the frequent 52 bus service. We believe, therefore, that this ward works well as a whole.

Proposed ward characteristics Woodhouse is a former mining village with a mixture of council, owner occupied housing, older and more modern properties built as the village expanded in the 1970’s. There is a good district shopping centre with council offices, a library and health centre. The library is currently the focus of a project to further develop community facilities in Woodhouse. The market square has stocks, a cross and war memorial as well as Grade Two listed buildings. Residents have good access to open space and ecological sites including Shire Brook Valley nature reserve, Sally Clarke's Meadow, Shirtcliffe Valley and the Woodhouse Washlands.

Handsworth is also a former village, now subsumed into the wider Sheffield urban area. Handsworth Road acts as the main focus for the community, and includes a post office, pubs and a number of shops, including two large supermarkets at its northern end. It was formerly the site of Sheffield’s racecourse.

Ward 12: Richmond Electorate 2013: 15,407 (8.62%) Electorate 2020: 15,861 (6.81%)

Proposed ward boundary The current Richmond ward is 7.1% smaller than the city average, and based on the current boundaries is forecast to be 9% under the city average by 2020, with very little potential for future development. As a result, it is necessary to increase the size of Richmond, resulting in a changed boundary.

The proposed boundary of Richmond runs along the main A57 Mosborough Parkway on its eastern side, from the Sheffield Parkway as far south as Shirtcliff Brook, which it follows before cutting down towards the Mosborough Parkway again, separating Coisley Hill from Woodhouse. On its northern side, the boundary follows the line of the Car Brook, as far as Woodrove Avenue, then skirting behind the Fairleigh estate, which looks more closely to Manor than to Richmond. The boundary then follows the Ridgeway Road on its western side before diverting down Hollinsend Road to include Gleadless Townend in the ward. Cutting behind the back of Herdings, it broadly follows Shire Brook as a clear physical boundary as far as the Mosborough Parkway.

The proposed boundaries remove the part of Birley neighbourhood which is currently in Richmond (around Linley Lane), but take on the Bramley and Parsley Hague estates in Handsworth and the bottom of Gleadless Townend.

Broader context and rationale The ward as proposed contains a number of distinct communities, including Coisley Hill, Richmond, Woodthorpe, Intake, and Gleadless Townend in the south. The ward as a whole is bound together by Mansfield Road – a main arterial route towards the city centre – and Richmond Road, which links up with the Mosborough Parkway. The City School provides secondary education for children in the ward, and acts as a unifying feature. The ward as proposed works well, with a number of distinct but similar communities, and generally bounded by a set of hard boundaries (particularly along the Sheffileld and Mosborough Parkways. Coisley Hill probably sits better as part of Woodhouse, but electoral equality considerations have required us to place this neighbourhood within Richmond.

Proposed ward characteristics Communities in Richmond, Hollinsend, Intake, Woodthorpe, Base Green, and Birley are all within Richmond Ward.

The majority of properties in Richmond are inter‐war, brick‐built semi‐detached and detached houses. Slightly less than half of households live in rented social housing.

There is a large council estate at Stradbroke with a smaller community at Normanton Springs. This area is served by the City School. Woodthorpe, another large social housing estate, was Council‐ built in the mid twentieth century. Council tenure is still important here but a large number of residents have exercised their 'right‐to‐buy', and there are some private developments near Richmond Road.

Woodthorpe and Richmond are served by the frequent 22 bus service and Hollins End by the 42, 44 and 120, Supertram passes by the west and south of the ward along Ridgeway Road.

Gleadless Townend is proposed to be added to increase the numbers in Richmond and reduce those in Arbourthorne. This proposal also works at a natural community level, the community was part of the Intake ward which included much of Richmond until the last boundary review, and officers and councillors have noted independently that this area already feels more like Richmond than Arbourthorne. The tram stop and shopping facilities at Ridgeway Road, currently on the border with Richmond and Arbourthorne are used by both communities.

Ward 13: Beighton Electorate 2013: 13,955 (‐1.62%) Electorate 2020: 14,359 (‐3.30%)

Proposed Ward Boundary The current Beighton ward is slightly under‐sized and is forecast to remain relatively under‐sized until 2020, although there is potential for significant increases in population depending on the outcome of the Greenbelt review and so we are intentionally proposing to keep the ward below the average electorate. To increase the size slightly and allow for electors to move down from Central we are proposing to move 789 electors in the Hackenthorpe area in the north east of the ward from Birley to Beighton. This will result in some minor changes to the boundary.

The proposed northern boundary of Beighton ward is defined by the A57 Mosborough Parkway, with the city boundary forming the eastern edge of the ward. Owlthorpe Greenway forms the south western boundary as far as the main road of Eckington Way, which the boundary follows as far as Waterthorpe Greenway, before turning south again down Moss Way. From there the boundary follows field boundaries to the city boundary on the western side, before following the boundary of the golf course to Birley Lane. From there the boundary follows Sheffield Road and Dyke Vale Road behind the separate community of Birley Spa, before joining the A57 again near Carr Forge Dam.

Broader context and rationale The proposed ward includes two distinct communities – Beighton and Sothall, as well as east Hackenthorpe, linked by the Waterthorpe Greenway, and is brought together by the Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre (the main retail area in the south east of the city), which sits just over the border in Mosborough ward. The ward is also linked by the Supertram route which runs along Donetsk Way in the centre of the ward. Westfield College in the eastern part of the ward is the secondary school serves large parts of the ward. Overall, the ward with the minor variations set out above, continues to work well, comprised of a number of distinct but linked communities, and is well bounded.

Proposed ward characteristics Communities living in Beighton, Owlthorpe, Sothall and east Hackenthorpe all fall within this ward. Beighton was originally a mining and agricultural village in its own right but the last pit closed in the 1980’s.

The proposal puts more of Hackenthorpe into Beighton, uniting an area of social housing which is currently in Birley and isolated from the majority of the social housing in Beighton (with which it shares a TARA). In the west Hackenthorpe is a brick built council estate of semi‐detached houses and a few flats. In the east, Hackenthorpe village mostly comprises owner occupied, brick built, detached and semi‐detached houses and bungalows.

To the south west, Owlthorpe was built as part of the 1970’s Mosborough Plan. Housing across the three areas is a mix of privately owned and council housing, mainly houses and bungalows with a few flats. Access to amenities at Owlthorpe is very limited although there is a health centre.

To the east of the ward, are the communities of Beighton and Sothall. There is a small high street at Beighton with amenities including a bank and post office. Sothall to the south east is a modern township. Amenities are limited in Sothall but there are shops and a snooker hall.

Ward 14: Mosborough Electorate 2013: 13,762 (‐2.98%) Electorate 2020: 14,130 (‐4.85%)

Proposed Ward Boundary Despite being slightly under‐sized (see next section) the proposed Mosborough ward has exactly the same boundaries as the current ward of the same name. The ward is situated in the far south east of the city and is constrained by the city boundary on its southern, eastern and western edges. Its northern boundary is formed, from the west by field boundaries, until reaching Moss Way. It follows this north as far as Waterthorpe Greenway, and then south down Eckington Way, ensuring that the whole of the Crystal Peaks shopping centre is in the ward. It then follows Owlthorpe Greenway to the eastern city boundary.

Broader context and rationale Development in Mosborough was the cause of the last review although development has not kept pace with the City Centre, so Mosborough is smaller than average and forecast to continue to remain so by 2020. As with other areas of the South East, there is potential for further development beyond 2020 and so we are proposing to retain the existing boundaries of Mosborough as they are to give room for further development. Mosborough works closely with Beighton ward, with councillors often sharing street surgeries. As a whole, the ward works well, encompassing the areas of Waterthorpe, Westfield, Halfway, and Mosborough village itself. The ward also includes the large industrial estate at Holbrook, the Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre (the main retail area for the whole of the south east), as well as a large semi‐rural area to the west around Plumbley. The ward as a whole is connected by two main transport routes – the Supertram line which has its terminus at half way, and the A6135, running through Mosborough village, providing the main route to the city centre. In the north of the ward, Crystal Peaks acts as an important retail centre for the whole area. The Westfield College provides secondary education for the whole of the ward.

Proposed ward characteristics Mosborough, Halfway, Westfield, Waterthorpe and the southern part of the Sothall neighbourhood are within the ward.

Mosborough itself is a former village with a significant amount of new housing. The Westfield and Waterthorpe estates were developed in the 1970’s. Housing in Westfield is predominantly council‐ owned and Waterthorpe mainly private traditionally brick built, with some council housing. The neighbourhood of Halfway is the most south easterly neighbourhood in the city and is made up of two distinct areas. Old Halfway has a mix of council owned semi‐detached houses and bungalows and privately owned older terraced and newer detached houses. New Halfway is a new township with a mix of council and privately owned houses, flats and bungalows.

Residents have access to high quality and historically important green space in and around Mosborough village and open space and agricultural land adjacent to the River Rother and railway to the south east of Halfway. Neighbourhood amenities such as primary schools and shops are situated in Old and New Halfway and Westfield, which also has a health centre and community room. The A6135 runs through Mosborough linking residents with Chesterfield and Sheffield centres.

Waterthorpe forms a ‘chunk’ to the north of the remainder of Mosborough. Primarily to improve electoral equality, this area looks towards the Westfield area of Mosborough for shops and amenities.

Ward 15: Birley Electorate 2013: 13,036 (‐8.10%) Electorate 2020: 13,739 (‐7.48%)

Proposed ward boundary The proposed new Birley ward is based on the current Birley ward, but with some changes to improve electoral equality by increasing the size of the ward and to improve community coherence. Despite this, the proposed ward will still be slightly smaller than average (see below for rationale).

On its southern edge, the ward boundary is coterminous with the city boundary. In the south west of the ward, the boundary with Gleadless Valley ward is formed by the dual carriageway of the

A6102 as far as the tram junction at Gleadless Townend. From there, in a slight amendment to the current ward boundary, it follows the midpoint of Seagrave Crescent for most of its length, before following the greenspace of the Shire Brook valley and Wickfield Plantation. It then follows the main A57 Mosborough Parkway for a short distance before cutting back to Dyke Vale Lane, skirting the area of east Hackenthorpe around Carr Forge Road, which was previously in Birley ward. The boundary then works round the back of the Cotleigh part of Hackenthorpe before picking up the Sheffield Road as far as the edge of Birley Wood Golf Course at Dent Lane, which it follows to the southern city boundary.

Broader Context and Rationale The current Birley ward is 10% under average, but has significant potential for development in the future, and so it is proposed to increase the size, but keep it smaller than average. It is proposed to change the boundaries with Beighton to enable Beighton to take on more electors, with Birley ward also taking on electors from part of Birley community which is currently in Richmond ward. It is proposed to increase the size of Birley by including the area of Frechville around Linley Lane. Previously in Richmond, this area is separated from Richmond, but adjacent to Birley and is a more natural fit, with a much stronger community boundary provided by the valley of the Shire Brook. A further 203 electors are added by moving the boundary to the midpoint of Seagrave Crescent in the west of the ward. The proposed ward brings together the communities of west Hackenthorpe, Charnock, Base Green, Frecheville and Birley itself. These areas have a number of shared amenities, including the Birley Community College which serves the whole of the ward. Birley is the main district centre for the area, with shops, pubs etc. The ward is connected by the A6135 which serves as the main road towards the city centre and is also a main bus route. The Supertram runs east/west through the southern part of the ward from Gleadless Townend to Hackenthorpe. Given all of the above, the ward works well as a whole, particularly with the changes made to include the area around Linley Lane and to move the Carr Forge area to Beighton.

Proposed ward characteristics Communities in Scowerdons, Birley, Base Green and Charnock live within the ward. Birley itself has four distinct communities: Birley estate, Frecheville, Newstead and Weaklands.

Birley estate was council built with private housing added in the 1960’s. Houses are traditional brick‐built with detached and semi‐detached homes and a small number of flats. Frecheville was originally Council housing, with the majority sold off and owner occupied.

Newstead and Weaklands estates on either side of the A6135 were built in the 1960's.

Base Green is mainly Council owned housing managed by Sheffield Homes with the north of the neighbourhood falling into the South Assembly. The majority of housing in Charnock is post war, semi‐detached and owner occupied, with two pockets of council‐built housing in the south west and south east, the majority bought under 'right‐to‐buy' legislation.

Hackenthorpe is shared between the Birley Ward and Beighton Ward, between the A57 and the A6135.

There is access to green space at Birley Spa, Four Lane Ends and along the border with North East Derbyshire. The former Lightwood Training Centre dominates the south west corner of Charnock.

The ward has good transport links with White Lane, the A6135 and Supertram all running through the area and the A57 Mosborough Parkway and A6102 Ridgway Road lying on or near its borders. Birley contains the local school, shops, a pub and the Open Door Adult Learning Centre. There is an active Tenants and Residents Association, small shopping area and Housing Office at Base Green. A refurbished Victorian bath house and cold dipping pool are located at Birley Spa. To the east is the Moss Way Police Station and Crystal Peaks College site. Hackenthorpe has a good range of facilities and schools but amenities are limited for Scowerdons with one shop and a pub.

Ward 16: Park and Arbourthorne Electorate 2013: 13,646 (‐3.80%) Electorate 2020: 14,735 (‐0.77%)

Proposed ward boundary The current Arbourthorne ward is 8% smaller than the city ward average and needs to take on electors to increase in size, and also to allow for a transfer of electors down towards the south east. For these reasons, it is proposed that the new Park and Arbourthorne ward is expanded in size. The new ward would include the area of Highfield around Shoreham Street and Bramall Lane, along with the areas of Norfolk Park and the Arbourthorne estate which make up the bulk of the current ward. We are also proposing to amend the boundaries with Richmond to allow Richmond to take on the area of Gleadless Townend.

In the south east of the ward, the boundary follows the hard boundary of the tramline along Ridgeway Road as far as Manor Top where it turns north west to follow the sharply descending City Road, which also hosts the Supertram. The boundary then works round the back of the St Aidans area of Arbourthorne before heading downhill again forming the boundary with the large open space of Norfolk Heritage Park, as far as Granville Road, and down towards Granville Square. It then follows the hard edge of the Inner Ring Road to the next main junction at St Mary’s Gate, before heading up Bramall Lane, and its continuation as Myrtle Road as far as the railway line. The boundary then follows the railway north east to skirt the Lowfield area, before heading up Heeley Bank to follow the ridge line, and keeping the distinct community of Gleadless Valley to the south. It eventually picks up Gleadless Road at Hurlfield before turning north east along Hollinsend Road to meet Ridgeway Road.

It is proposed to change the name of the ward from ‘Arbourthorne’ to ‘Park and Arbourthorne’ reflecting the fact that the ward is increasing in size, covering a wider range of communities.

Broader Context and Rationale This proposal would see the boundaries at the north of the ward being the Inner Ring Road, and Bramall Lane, with the ward spreading across the railway. The Council acknowledges that there are limited crossing points over the railway in this area and the ward will have two distinct and largely separate communities on either side of the railway and River Sheaf, with the bulk of the area comprising the Arbourthorne estate which sits on a steep hill far above the city centre. We accept that this is a less than ideal solution for this part of the city.

The Council has, however, already had dialogue with the Commission about possible alternatives which might allow for a better warding pattern in this area, consisting of two 2‐member wards, but has been advised that a proposal to increase the number of councillors by one would not be acceptable, despite allowing wards that would represent more coherent communities. Given this,

27 the solution presented here is the best fit for the city, particularly when viewed in the context of the wider warding pattern for the rest of the city.

Although acknowledging that the communities here will be separate, all of the political groups except the Green Party are content that this is the only viable solution.

Proposed ward characteristics Park and Arbourthorne Ward contains communities living in Norfolk Park, the Arbourthorne estate, Gleadless, Hurlfield, and parts of Heeley and Highfield.

Norfolk Park lies on a prominent hillside position to the southeast of the city centre. It is dominated by Norfolk Heritage Park and the Black Bank open space. The area has undergone major transition to create a new urban village with mixed, generally social, housing. The Arbourthorne estate is a largely council owned housing estate with high levels of deprivation. Gleadless and Heeley are both relatively prosperous, but densely populated areas.

Highfield is densely populated in mainly terraced housing and has a mixed demographic, with high levels of deprivation. The area also includes light industrial, wholesale and retail; and Bramall Lane, home of Sheffield United FC, is at the heart of the Highfield area. There is a large and well used community and conference centre at St Mary's Church which provides significant support to the local community.

Ward 17: Manor Castle Electorate 2013: 13,748 (‐3.06%) Electorate 2020: 15,063 (1.44%)

Proposed ward boundary Given the stable electorate close to the city average, and the fact that the existing ward works well, the proposed boundaries for this ward are exactly the same as the current ward of the same name.

The western boundary of the ward is formed by the railway line which runs through the Sheaf Valley, separating the ward from the city centre. At Park Square, the boundary turns east to run along the Sheffield Parkway – the main route connecting Sheffield with the M1, and therefore a hard physical boundary separating communities on either side. At the junction with the A57 Mosborough Parkway, the boundary turns west to follow the Car Brook, marking the boundary between the Fairleigh and Manor Estates and Woodthorpe. The south west boundary of the ward is formed by City Road and Granville Road (a major route towards the eastern part of the city, which descend steeply back to the city centre. The boundary diverts slightly near the junction between Granville and City Roads to include Donnington, Holdings, and Essex Roads within the ward. The ward is well bounded and represents a distinct and coherent set of communities and therefore there are no proposed changes.

Broader context and rationale Manor Castle ward lies to the south west of Darnall, and includes the communities of Park Hill, Wybourn, Manor Park, Manor and Fairleigh. The ward works well as a whole, rising away from the city centre, and defined by two major roads on its northern and southern edges (the Sheffield Parkway and City Road respectively). The area has a shared heritage from the original manor and associated deer park which stood on the site, continuing as the whole ward was developed for low

28 cost and social housing during the 20th centuries. The communities in the ward relate to one another, sharing major facilities such as secondary schools and community organisations.

Proposed ward characteristics Manor Castle ward has seen significant investment in regeneration in the past decade, including in Housing Market Renewal and Decent homes, and the Manor and Castle Development Trust is active throughout the ward.

Local shops are available at a number of locations including Cricket Inn Road, Manor Oaks Road, Manor Top, Fairleighs, Castlebeck and Boundary Road. The Ward is served by Manor Lodge Primary School, and contains All Saints RC Specialist Sports College, Park Academy and the City College Campus at Granville Road. Park Academy in particular draws students from across the ward. Although having high levels of deprivation, the area has good access to services.

The majority of houses in Manor and Manor Park were built in the 1920’s and 1930’s with a second building phase in the 1950’s. Parts of the area were cleared in the early 1980s and rebuilt with council and housing association properties. Residents, particularly in Manor Park, exercised their ‘right to buy’ and the tenure is more mixed than it was. Privately built housing has started on remaining vacant sites. Wybourn is surmounted by Skye Edge which overlooks much of the City. The northern section of the ward is comprised of the Wybourn Estate, about 1,200 traditional style Council houses built in the 1930s and 1940s and substantial numbers of small, two‐bedroom properties overlooking the Parkway.

The dominant feature of the landscape is the Grade Two* listed 1960’s Park Hill flats complex. The Park Hill flats have been subject of major redevelopment over recent years, bringing them back into use as a source of social, affordable and private housing. There are plans for this regeneration to extend to the other blocks in the estate over future years. This will mean that this area will have a more mixed community than elsewhere in the ward, and is where much of the additional electorate in the ward is anticipated to live as more of the complex is developed There are community links between Wybourn and Park Hill. Housing in Granville in the west of the ward is mostly late 19th and early 20th century with some large stone built detached villas and a larger number of semi‐ detached, villa or terraced properties in private ownership.

Central Sheffield We are proposing that the wards in the centre of the city are subject to greatest change in their boundaries. Central ward needs to reduce the size of its electorate considerably and we are proposing to make major changes to its boundaries, as well as those of what are currently the Broomhill (renamed Botanicals) and Nether Edge (renamed Sharrow and Nether Edge) wards as a result. We are proposing smaller adjustments to the other wards – Crookes and Walkley.

As mentioned at paragraph 5.1, we have worked from the basis that Sheffield should retain a single city centre ward to enable effective representation of communities and of city issues, using the City Centre Masterplan boundaries. The south and western side of the city centre and the areas immediately outside of the Ring Road are very densely populated with communities of geography and interest that do not have clear boundaries. The Council has received conflicting representations from community groups and we hold the view that the Inner Ring Road is a strong physical boundary that divides communities, and is likely to do so increasingly over time.

Ward 18: City Electorate 2013: 10,799 (‐23.87%) Electorate 2020: 13,665 (‐7.98%)

Proposed ward boundary The current Central ward is the main cause of the present electoral review, being 43% larger than the ward average and forecast to be 63% larger by 2020. Because of this we are proposing significant changes to this ward. The City Centre Masterplan shows space for 6,000 dwellings between 2012/13 and 2025/26, but at present it is unclear which of the sites within the City Centre will be built upon, when and to which density. Therefore, our proposed new City ward has been kept deliberately to the lower end of the permitted variance to account for the predicted growth, but it is acknowledged that if all of these properties would be built, there would still be potentially unacceptable levels of electoral inequality. The scale of both known and potential development in City ward means that in 2016 it is likely that City ward will be more than 10% smaller than the city average, but that this would be expected to come within permitted limits within a few years and by 2020 at the latest.

The ward, as proposed is almost bounded by the inner ring road all the way round its western and southern edge (save for a small additional area around Boston Street, which houses a large number of students). To the east the boundary is formed by the railway line which runs through the Sheaf Valley, separating the ward from the Park Hill flats on the hill above. Beyond Park Square roundabout, the boundary follows the Sheffield Parkway for a short distance before heading north east, broadly following the route of the inner ring road, until it meets Rutland Road. This means that the whole of the Kelham Island area is within the City ward. The boundary then follows the dual carriageway of Penistone Road for a short while before meeting the inner ring road at Shalesmoor. The boundary of City ward is very well defined all the way round, and is almost identical to the city centre masterplan boundary.

We are proposing to change the name of the ward from ‘Central’ to ‘City’ reflecting the fact that the new ward will be firmly based around the city centre, and is a more descriptive name than ‘Central’ which reflected the inclusion of the Sharrow and Broomhall neighbourhoods.

Broader context and rationale/proposed ward characteristics The ward is made up of only two distinct communities – the city centre itself and Kelham Island. The city centre has experienced dramatic physical and demographic change since the late 1990s. A number of residential and student flats have increased population and occasioned this review.

Much of the population in the City ward is transitory, with a relatively high proportion of the population not registered to vote. The ward is one of the most ethnically diverse in the city with some of the diversity arising from high levels of international students, many of whom are not eligible to vote, as well as established and less established communities of families from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Traditionally, the main residential areas in the city centre have been around Devonshire Green/Springfield in the south west of the ward, and the Edward Street area of Netherthorpe in the north west.

Kelham Island was traditionally an industrial area, but in recent years it has been redeveloped and now represents a fashionable district with a growing number of young professional workers and students living in new build or converted flats.

The ward is also diverse in socioeconomic terms, with relatively affluent, mainly young people living in new apartment developments, students, as well as significant numbers living in social housing and experiencing high levels of deprivation, particularly in the Netherthorpe area.

Residents of the ward have good access to services as might be expected. The city centre represents a major retail and entertainment area, and there are nationally significant culture and sporting venues within the ward (including the Crucible and Lyceum theatres; Central Library; Ponds Forge leisure centre; City Hall etc.). Sheffield Hallam University’s main station and Sheffield station are both situated in the ward. All tram and major bus routes run through the ward.

Ward 19: Botanicals Electorate 2013: 14,452 (1.89%) Electorate 2020: 15,193 (2.31%)

Proposed Ward Boundaries We are proposing a significant enlargement of the current Broomhill ward, reflecting the fact that the current ward is 17% smaller than the city average, and also because of the need to reduce the size of Central ward. There is little prospect for significant population growth in the ward itself, so the ward needs to expand to include additional areas. Our proposed ‘Botanicals’ ward (the name reflects the main green space in the centre of the ward, the Botanical Gardens) would include the following communities: Broomhill, Broomhall and Sharrow Vale.

At its eastern end, the boundary would be formed by the Inner Ring Road between Ecclesall Road and Brook Hill roundabout, which represents a clear physical boundary between this ward and the city centre. Heading north west, the boundary between Walkley and Botanicals would be formed by Bolsover Street/Winter Street/Crookes Valley Road/Barber Road1 as far as Commonside. This forms both a hard geographical boundary in the valley bottom, and represents a boundary between distinct communities on either side of the road.

1 NB these form a continuous road

From Commonside, the proposed boundary follows the contour of the hill, with Crookes ward rising steeply above, all the way round to Tapton, following Tapton Crescent Road at its western end. Again there is a distinct geographical and community separation in this area between Broomhill and Crookes. The boundary would then follow the steeply descending Shore Lane, as far as its junction with Fulwood Road, and would then skirt the university campus and residential area of Endcliffe, which look much more towards Fulwood and Ranmoor than to the district centres of Broomhill and Hunters Bar. Endcliffe Corner between Brocco Bank and Endcliffe Vale Road would be included in the Botanicals ward as it is a distinct community with a closer connection to both Broomhill and particularly to Sharrow Vale. The boundary would run along the edge of Endcliffe Wood/Park as far as Hunters Bar roundabout.

At Hunters Bar the community is brought together on either side of the Porter Valley by the shared amenities of Sharrow Vale and Ecclesall Roads. For that reason it is proposed that the Sharrow Vale community – formerly in Nether Edge ward – should be included here – with the new ward boundary following the back of the houses on Hunter House Road and Psalter Lane as far as its junction with Sharrow Vale Road. The boundary would then follow the Porter Brook itself, ensuring that all of the roads directly off Ecclesall Road were included in this ward, before rejoining the eastern end of Ecclesall Road.

The Council’s proposal has the eastern boundary with Walkley along Barber Road. Liberal Democrat councillors propose an alternative boundary with Walkley which is appended at Appendix B.

Proposed ward characteristics The proposed Botanicals ward is comprised of four key communities:

Broomhill, a suburban area with a mix of students, young professionals and sought‐after owner‐ occupied properties.

The conservation area of Broomhall has a mix of Victorian villas, the Hanover council estate, new build flats and the Collegiate Crescent campus of Sheffield Hallam University. The population of Broomhall includes students and many different BME groups. Parts of Broomhall around the Hanover estate are deprived, in contrast with the rest of the ward

Sharrow Vale, a vibrant suburb of terraced properties popular with students and young professionals, and which has become more popular with families in recent years.

Although distinct and diverse communities, Sharrow Vale and Broomhill are very similar in demographic, with a mix of affluent families and students and young people, while Broomhall is much more ethnically diverse and has higher levels of deprivation. The large student population throughout is a commonality, and much of the Sharrow Vale and lower Broomhill and Broomhall communities gravitate towards the Ecclesall Road and Sharrow Vale Road shopping area, whilst the upper Broomhill area is served by its own shops and amenities.

Although the three communities are quite distinct, there are a number of features which draw the whole area together, particularly the large parks and open spaces of the Botanical Gardens, Weston Park and Crookes Valley Park. There is an informal grouping of community associations, the Ecclesall Road Community Groups with an interest in Ecclesall Road, particularly the planning and licensing decisions. This includes:

ECCO ‐ Endcliffe Corner Community Organisation SVCA ‐ Sharrow Vale Community Association Botanical community group BGCA ‐ Botanical Gate Community Association The Groves community group Broomhall Park Association

Transport links are excellent throughout the ward – particularly the high frequency 52, 120, and 81‐ 86/88 bus routes which serve the ward as a whole.

Consultation Broomhill Forum, the Broomhall Group of Groups and Broomhall Homework Club have met with the Council. The Broomhall groups are opposed to the boundary which they believe splits Broomhall between two wards either side of the dual carriageway. Broomhill Forum representatives are more familiar with the north west side of the proposed ward, and are content that the proposals there are representative of the natural communities, but are supportive of Broomhall organisations’ concerns.

Ward 20: Sharrow and Nether Edge Electorate 2013: 14,812 (4.42%) Electorate 2020: 15,884 (6.96%)

Proposed ward boundary The current Nether Edge ward lies immediately to the South West of Central ward and proposals see it taking on more than 7,000 electors from the current Central ward, changing significantly to incorporate most of the Sharrow neighbourhood and the Little Sheffield area off Ecclesall Road, as well as retaining the heart of Nether Edge proper. The boundary of the new ward is therefore proposed to be significantly different from the current one.

We are proposing that the eastern boundary of the ward is formed by the main Midland Mainline railway as far as Bannerdale Road. From Bannerdale it follows Brincliffe Edge – a steep limestone escarpment separating the communities of Brincliffe and Carter Knowle. This represents a change from the current boundary which follows the mid‐point of Brincliffe Edge Road on the top of the Edge, leaving a small number of voters in Ecclesall ward. The boundary then follows the back of the houses on Psalter Lane as far as the roundabout at Sharrow Head. Psalter Lane lies along the ridge of a hill and therefore marks a distinct boundary between Sharrow Vale and Sharrow/Nether Edge. From there it heads down into the valley to the Porter Brook, which it follows to Ecclesall Road, before skirting the back of the Boston Street area, which lies in City Centre ward. The short eastern boundary is formed by Bramall Lane.

The proposed name change reflects the fact that the ward will have a dual focus around Nether Edge and Sharrow, both significant communities in their own right.

Broader rationale and context The population of this proposed ward is at the higher end of the permitted variance. This is because of limited scope to move electors to neighbouring wards and a desire to keep communities together. There is very limited potential for further development in the ward beyond our forecasts to 2020

33 and we are comfortable that electoral equality should not reduce and may potentially improve in the medium and long term. More positively, there is a clear rationale for grouping the communities of Nether Edge and Sharrow together in the same ward. The two areas lack a distinct division on the ground, and it is difficult to know where one stops and the other begins. The two areas share amenities along Abbeydale Road, and to a lesser extent along London Road. Transport links between the two areas are good, with bus routes along Abbeydale Road in the eastern part of the ward, as well as the number 22 bus which travels through Sharrow and into Nether Edge.

Proposed ward characteristics Nether Edge neighbourhood is diverse, home to residents from a wide range of ethnic and socio‐ economic backgrounds, including a large but decreasing number of students. The neighbourhood has a small but vibrant shopping area around Nether Edge Road, as well as a large number of shops along Abbeydale Road.

Brincliffe lies to the south west of Nether Edge. It is a popular residential neighbourhood made up almost entirely of owner occupied households. House types vary with substantial mid‐Victorian houses around Chelsea Park and Brincliffe Edge, Edwardian terraces near Abbeydale Road and detached inter‐war, 1950s and 1960s homes below the Edge, between Bannerdale and Carterknowle Roads.

Sharrow has a range of housing types and tenures and a broad diversity of ethnicities and affluence. There is a sizeable population of students, particularly overseas students. Neighbourhood facilities in Sharrow include a library and the Old Sharrow Junior School, a community hub, as well as a Children’s Centre and a doctor’s surgery both of which are well‐used by residents in Sharrow and elsewhere in the Nether Edge and Broomhill wards. There is a diverse range of restaurants along London Road.

Consultation The Nether Edge Neighbourhood Group have responded to consultation on the proposed boundaries and are supportive of proposals to reunite Sharrow and Nether Edge as they have included Sharrow in their area of focus since their inception in 1979.

Ward 21: Walkley Electorate 2013: 14,657 (3.33%) Electorate 2020: 15,290 (2.96%)

Proposed ward boundary Although the existing Walkley ward generally works well, we are proposing a number of alterations to its boundaries necessitated by some of the other changes in the central part of the city (particularly from Central), and to improve community identity in some parts of the ward. In particular the areas of Netherthorpe on the other side of the ring road and the part of Kelham Island around Cornish Street have been removed from the ward. It is also proposed to change the boundary with Stannington to go along the road rather than the river, thus including the whole of the park within Stannington ward for simplification.

The south eastern boundary of the ward is formed by the inner ring road at Netherthorpe Street, before heading along Penistone Road for a short distance from the Shalesmoor junction. These are both busy dual carriageways representing a significant physical boundary in the landscape. The

34 boundary then turns north east to follow Rutland Road to the point at which the road begins to rise steeply upwards. From there the boundary follows the Upper Don Valley edge keeping much of the industrial zone of this part of the valley in the ward, before picking up the river itself as far as Bradfield Road, just before Hillsborough itself. Along its northern border the ward is defined by the Loxley Valley, following the river as far as its confluence with the River Rivelin at Malin Bridge.

The entire western boundary is formed by the Rivelin Valley Road – a departure from the current boundary which follows the river itself but left Rivelin Valley Park split between two wards. In any event, the Rivelin Valley is steep sided and is a natural dividing line between the communities. The south western boundary along Heavygate and Northfield Roads follows the contour of the hill that separates the distinct communities of Walkley and Crookes higher up the hill. In places the boundary here has been ‘tidied up’ where houses have become isolated since the last boundary review because of new development etc. The boundary then follows the drop of the hill down Barber Road, Crookes Valley Road and Winter Street to the Brook Hill roundabout.

Broader rationale and context The ward as proposed is focused around the district centre of Walkley along South Road, but also includes the communities of Upperthorpe, Netherthorpe, and the Philadelphia area along Langsett Road. The ward rises up from the western bank of the Upper Don Valley near the city centre, and is brought together by this common geography. It is linked by a number of high frequency public transport routes, including the tram along Langsett Road in the valley bottom, and the high frequency 95 and 52 bus routes, which serve the communities higher up the hill. The area is increasingly diverse, with a range of people of different ages and different backgrounds, including a sizeable number of students in parts of the ward.

As a whole, the Council believes the revised ward boundary represents a slight improvement on the current pattern, with a more natural boundary between Walkley and Botanicals (currently Broomhill) than exists at the moment, keeping Kelham Island together as a single community and having a much firmer boundary with the city centre along the ring road.

The Council’s proposal has the western boundary with Broomhill along Barber Road. Liberal Democrat councillors propose an alternative boundary with Broomhill which is appended at Appendix B.

Proposed ward characteristics As noted above, the wards communities are economically diverse with small areas of significant deprivation in Netherthorpe and parts of Upperthorpe.

Walkley neighbourhood lies on a steep hillside with striking views over the Don Valley. It is densely populated, mainly consisting of Victorian terraced properties. Walkley Bank is less densely populated with high levels of owner occupancy. The housing includes Victorian terraces and more modern houses and low‐rise flats. South Road provides the main focus for the Walkley neighbourhood with a range of shops and facilities. Walkley has a very active Community Forum.

Upperthorpe consists of a mix of housing types with high‐rise flats, maisonettes and the upmarket Birkendale area consisting of large Victorian villas. The Langsett area has a largely elderly population in a council‐built estate. Housing in Netherthorpe is almost all council built and has been much

35 refurbished in recent years. There is a well‐established Community Development Trust, ZEST, and the Zest Healthy Living Centre incorporates restored Victorian public baths, a gym, library and café and serves the communities of Upperthorpe and Netherthorpe particularly, with other parts of the Walkley community also making use of the amenities.

Ward 22: Crookes Electorate 2013: 14,263 (0.55%) Electorate 2020: 14,677 (‐1.17%)

Proposed ward boundary The proposed Crookes ward largely works well, and we are therefore proposing to leave it mostly unchanged, apart from making some alterations in a few areas to improve community identity and to take on some additional electors to improve electoral equality. Crookes will continue to be comprised mainly of two distinct communities – Crookes and Crosspool.

The whole of the northern boundary is formed by the steep sided River Rivelin before heading up hill along the back of Walkley Cemetery and Bole Hill Recreation Ground to follow the contour separating Walkley and Crookes neighbourhoods along Heavygate and Northfield Roads in the east. The south eastern boundary between Crookes and Botanicals ward again broadly follows the contour of the hill, with changes to the current boundary around Conduit Road to follow Crookesmoor Road instead of School Road. The boundary between Crookes and Broomhill communities is not well defined, although we believe our proposal is reasonable, particularly along Crookes Road, Lydgate Lane and Tapton Crescent Road – this last represents a change from the current boundary. And although this boundary is not well‐defined the two neighbourhoods of Crookes and Broomhill are clearly distinct. From Tapton Crescent Road, the boundary follows Manchester Road for a short distance, before again following the contour of the hill cutting across school playing fields above the distinct Ranmoor neighbourhood (part of Fulwood ward). The boundary then begins to climb uphill along Carsick Hill Road to Sandygate Road in Crosspool before cutting back along Redmires Road. This represents a change to the current boundary to include more of Carsick neighbourhood in Fulwood ward, which it more naturally looks to. In the west, the boundary is formed by field boundaries as far as the River Rivelin.

Although the changes from the existing ward at the South Eastern border around Conduit Road have been agreed by all political groups, the Liberal Democrat Group do not agree with the proposal to unite the Carsick area in Fulwood, and prefer that Tapton Crescent Road remains in Broomhill. Their proposal is at Appendix B.

Broader rationale and context The proposed Crookes wards consists of the communities of Crookes and Crosspool. Although distinct neighbourhoods, they are linked by Lydgate Lane, which includes Lydgate School serving both areas. Crosspool and Crookes are each centred around neighbourhood shopping areas on Sandygate Road and Crookes itself respectively, which also provide a range of local services to thetwo communities . The main A57 Manchester Road runs through the Crosspool area of the ward. The ward is served by the 52 (Crookes) and 51 (Crosspool) bus routes, which provide links to the city centre. The ward as a whole continues to make sense, and the proposed changes to the boundary

around Tapton, Carsick, and around Conduit Road will help to improve the overall community identity of the ward.

Proposed ward characteristics There are two main neighbourhoods in the ward, Crookes to the East and Crosspool to the West.

Crookes has a high population density. The neighbourhood attracts large numbers of students and young professionals mainly living in multiple‐occupancy privately‐rented accommodation close to the university and hospitals, as well as young families. It has close links with and shares amenities and bus routes with the eastern part of neighbouring Botanicals ward.

Crosspool is a suburban neighbourhood, located high above the Rivelin Valley two and a half miles west of the city centre. The A57 Manchester Road, one of the city's main arterial routes, runs through the neighbourhood, en route to Glossop and Manchester. Crosspool is a popular suburb with excellent access to the countryside. It comprises mainly owner‐occupied inter‐war semi‐ detached properties. The hub of the area is the Crosspool shopping centre offering a mix of shops and restaurants, although residents also use the wider range of shops in neighbouring Broomhill.

South The southern sector of the city includes the three wards in the ‘wedge’ between the Sheaf Valley and Gleadless Valley – Graves Park, Beauchief and Greenhill, and Gleadless Valley itself. We are not proposing major changes to these wards in the main, other than to improve electoral equality in some places. The biggest changes affect Gleadless Valley ward, mainly caused by knock on effects from the new Nether Edge and Sharrow ward.

Ward 23: Gleadless Valley Electorate 2013: 14,918 (5.17%) Electorate 2020: 15,459 (4.10%)

Proposed Ward boundary The current Gleadless Valley ward continues to work well and has close to the average number of electors, and we are therefore proposing only to make minor changes to the boundaries, mainly to ensure electoral equality in neighbouring wards.

The northwest boundary of the ward is formed by the Midland Mainline train line to London and therefore represents a hard physical boundary. The boundary then includes the Lowfield area around Olive Grove (which has been taken on from Park and Arbourthorne), before following the ridge line above the Meers Brook, which separates the communities of Meersbrook, Newfield Green and Herdings from communities in Park and Arbourthorne ward. Along its far southeastern edge, the boundary is formed by the main road of Norton Avenue, before turning west along Hemsworth Road, which forms the edge of the Hemsworth community itself, before tracking across open space and woodland, and then along Lees Hall Avenue and behind Meersbrook Park, before meeting up with the railway line again at Little London Road. A small area of the ward around Crawford and Cliffe Field Roads has been moved to Graves Park ward to ensure electoral equality.

Liberal Democrat Councillors would also propose to move 528 electors at Hemsworth out of Gleadless Valley and into Graves Park. Their proposals are at Appendix B.

Broader context and rationale Gleadless Valley is a ward consisting of a number of distinct communities – however, they are brought together by their shared geographical location along the steep hillsides along the Meersbrook Valley, and shared open spaces in Meersbrook Park and woodlands at Rollestone and Leeshall woods. There are good transport connections through the ward, including major bus routes from the city centre through to Gleadless Valley itself. The ward is also served by Supertram at Herdings. The ward is long and thin in shape, which might suggest that it would not promote community identity, but its location along the river valley means in reality that the communities do look to one another, justifying their inclusion in a single ward.

Proposed ward characteristics This ward contains a number of distinct neighbourhoods: Hemsworth, Gleadless Valley, Heeley and part of Meersbrook. Residents of Gleadless Valley have access to significant open space at Herdings Park and the ancient woodlands of Rollestone and Leeshall. Heeley residents enjoy access to Meersbrook Park and an urban farm and environmental project Heeley City Farm and the more recently established Millennium Park. There is also a major allotment site at Meersbrook.

There are excellent bus routes through the area, a Supertram stop at Herdings and access to Bochum Parkway outer ring road and Gleadless Road from the city centre. There are shops and local amenities at Newfield Green. Amenities are more limited for residents of Herdings and Hemsworth but there is a co‐op and post office at Constable Road which serve the whole of the Hemsworth community. There is an active tenants and residents association and community forums for residents in Gleadless Valley, Heeley Development Trust and the City Farm form the focus for regeneration activity in that neighbourhood. Although distinct communities, there is work which takes place between the community organisations across the ward.

There is a mixture of housing across the ward. Gleadless Valley, including Herdings and Hemsworth, is predominantly made up of Council housing managed by Sheffield Homes. The housing is mainly flats and maisonettes built in the 1960’s on steep hillsides surrounded by very attractive green spaces and woodlands. However, these communities also experience high levels of deprivation.

In Heeley there is a range of owner occupied and rented housing, including larger brick built terraces and substantial Victorian homes overlooking Meersbrook Park. It is proposed to keep the terraced properties together in Gleadless Valley, as these form a natural and united community.

Ward 24: Graves Park Electorate 2013: 13,528 (‐4.63%) Electorate 2020: 13,979 (‐5.87%)

Proposed ward boundary Graves Park ward broadly works well, but is forecast to reduce slightly in size over the period of the review, although there is scope for further development of the review period. We are therefore proposing to make a small number of changes to the ward boundary, mainly to help electoral equality in other wards or to improve community identity.

In the south east of the ward, the boundary is formed by the city border with Derbyshire between Jordanthorpe and Hemsworth. The border then cuts north east to leave the Hemsworth and Backmoor estates in Gleadless Valley ward, following the edge of the open space around Oakes Park

38 and Lees Hall Golf Course. The boundary then runs along Lees Hall Road and Norton Lees Road which separates the communities of Meersbrook and Norton Lees, and therefore represents a reasonable dividing line in this area – this represents a change from the current border, which includes a slightly larger set of streets in Gleadless Valley around Crawford Road. The border then cuts down towards Chesterfield Road and Auckley Road in the north of the ward. The short western boundary of the ward is formed by the main Midland Mainline railway as far as Hutcliffe Wood. From there it follows the border of the cemetery/crematorium, keeping all of the Woodseats community in Graves Park ward. It rejoins the main Chesterfield Road (the main route between Chesterfield and Sheffield) at Cobnar Wood, which it follows to Meadowhead Roundabout before turning east along the outer ring road (Bochum Parkway) and the city boundary. The ward previously included the community around Chancet Wood, but this has been moved to Beauchief and Greenhill to improve electoral equality. It also means that the Chesterfield Road forms a clear physical boundary between the two wards.

Broader Context and Rationale As noted above, Graves Park works well as a ward. The majority of the population lives in the northern part of the ward, in communities around Woodseats on the Chesterfield Road, which is one of the larger district centres in the south of the city and represents a clear focal point for the ward. The other unifying feature of the ward is Graves Park itself, which is an important area of green and open space for all of the communities in the ward. In the south of the ward, looking towards Graves Park from the other direction are the smaller communities of Norton and Little Norton. Again, Graves Park serves to unite these communities with the rest of the ward.

The ward as a whole is generally well bounded, using green space and main roads and railway lines as its borders for much of its length. The only area where this is not the case is around Meersbrook and Norton Lees where the border is more arbitrary, although we believe our proposal represents a sensible dividing line between the two communities.

Liberal Democrat councillors have proposed to include part of the community at Hemsworth in Graves Park. Their proposals can be found at Appendix B.

Proposed ward characteristics The neighbourhoods of Norton, Woodseats and Meersbrook are in the Graves Park Ward. There is excellent access to green space at Graves Park, Oaks Park, Hutcliffe Wood, Abbey Lane Cemetery, Chancet Wood and Meersbrook Park just beyond the Ward boundary in the Gleadless Valley Ward.

There are a number of older houses around Norton Hall Farm but the majority of houses in the Norton neighbourhood are detached and semi‐detached built between 1920 and 1945. There is a high proportion of owner occupiers, a relatively higher proportion of older residents and a lower than average proportion of under 16's. The Woodseats area was developed in the late Victorian period and housing is largely owner occupied red brick Victorian terraces with a notable presence of private rented accommodation. Housing in Norton Lees, further up the hill, is dominated by inter‐ war semi‐detached properties.

There is a large district centre at Woodseats along Chesterfield Road with an extensive range of shops and services, a library, school and other community facilities and which serves most of the ward. There is also a major supermarket serving this area. A recent high profile traffic scheme has

39 been implemented in Woodseats aimed to improve pedestrian access and bus times via a bus gate. The Norton Centre to the south is a large Sheffield College site with extensive leisure facilities onsite. Other than this service, access to amenities and services in Norton is limited. There are good transport links along the A61 Chesterfield Road in the west, Abbeydale Road to the north and the Bochum Parkway in the south.

Ward 25: Beauchief and Greenhill Electorate 2013: 13,815 (‐2.60%) Electorate 2020: 14,159 (‐4.65%)

Proposed ward boundary The current Beauchief and Greenhill ward broadly works well, but is forecast to be 6.15% below the city average by 2020. Coupled with the fact that the last boundary review left some communities split, we are proposing to make some limited changes to the boundaries of this ward. The ward currently includes part of the community of Lower Bradway which was split at the last review from the remainder of the Bradway neighbourhood. It is proposed to change the boundaries to include 193 electors currently in Beauchief and Greenhill in Dore and Totley to address this. To increase electoral equality, it is proposed to change the boundaries to include an additional 420 electors at Chancet Wood.

The proposed north west boundary would follow the main Midland Mainline railway line, which forms a clear physical boundary with Dore and Totley ward. The boundary then skirts the Bradway neighbourhood, which has been reunited with Lower Bradway in Dore and Totley ward under these proposals, representing a change from the current ward boundary. The southern boundary of the ward is the city boundary, following it past Batemoor and Jordanthorpe. The boundary then follows the outer ring road along Bochum Parkway, and then turns north to follow the main Chesterfield Road towards the city centre, past Chancet Wood (this area was previously included in Graves Park ward, but has been included here to improve electoral equality). The boundary then follows the edge of the Hutcliffe Wood cemetery and crematorium, before meeting up with the railway line at Millhouses Park.

Liberal Democrat councillors would also include a community of 413 electors at the base of Abbey Lane on the other side of the railway and river. Their proposals can be found at Appendix B.

Broader context and rationale The whole ward shares a number of amenities, including Meadowhead School in the east of the ward. The main shopping area is just to the north of the ward boundary in the Woodseats area of Graves Park ward.

Proposed ward characteristics Beauchief and Greenhill is a socio‐economically mixed ward. A number of communities are amongst the most affluent in England. However, it also contains others which fall within the most deprived in the country. Beauchief is a prosperous suburb on the slopes of the Sheaf Valley. Housing is made up of good quality detached and semi‐detached houses, largely owner occupied with one of the lowest concentrations of social housing in the city. Greenhill is made up of good quality detached and semi‐ detached houses built between 1920 and 1945, largely owner occupied with relatively low numbers of households in social housing.

The vast majority of housing in Lowedges, Batemoor and Jordanthorpe is council owned and managed by the Council with some new developments in private ownership. Lowedges, Batemoor and Jordanthorpe all experience high level of deprivation and have a very strong sense of community identity. There are active tenants and residents groups, and the Lowedges, Batemoor and Jordanthorpe community forum is active in the area. The Lowedges, Batemoor and Jordanthorpe area is the focus of work taking place between the Council and other agencies to improve services and outcomes in the area.

Transport links to the area are fair although Bradway and Greenhill do not have immediate access to main bus routes. Meadowhead School has recently been rebuilt on one site near the Norton Centre and Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre. There are shopping and local amenities at Lowedges, Greenhill, Meadowhead and Jordanthorpe where a new health centre has also recently been built. A major supermarket is situated towards Woodseats.

West/South West The South West of the city includes a range of communities, from affluent suburban neighbourhoods to open countryside in the Peak District. The rural nature of parts of the ward, as well as the limited amenities in some of the suburban areas, and affluent communities with good access to cars means that communities also often look towards different areas to serve different needs: Ecclesall ward houses two parks at its extremities which are focal points for families from neighbouring wards, whilst shops along the Ecclesall Road and Sharrowvale areas have a similar effect.

Wards in the West and South West are forecast to reduce slightly in comparison to the citywide average by 2020, and are not anticipated to keep pace with development elsewhere in the city in the medium term due to rigorously enforced greenbelt policies and the inclusion of parts of the Peak District National Park. In light of this, it is proposed to move a significant proportion of the electors from Central through the South West of the city, and we are proposing that, along with Nether Edge, Ecclesall ward sees some of the most significant change in the city.

Ward 26: Dore and Totley Electorate 2013: 15,080 (6.31%) Electorate 2020: 15,693 (5.67%)

Proposed Ward boundary Dore and Totley lies in the south west corner of Sheffield, and is currently around 5% smaller than average. We are proposing to make some relatively minor changes to the ward to increase the size of the ward and to improve community identity by reuniting the previously split Bradway neighbourhood.

In the west and south the ward boundary is formed by the city boundary as far as the Bradway Tunnel in the south and Ringinglow Road in the north. In the rural north of the ward, the boundary follows Ringinglow Road and then the line of the Limb Valley towards Whirlow. The boundary is then extended north to include the whole of the Whirlow and Parkhead neighbourhoods, before following the edge of Ecclesall Wood and then skirting the edge of Abbeydale Hamlet, which we are

41 proposing should be in Dore and Totley ward. In the east, the boundary is formed by the main Midland Mainline as far as Dore and Totley Station, before heading south east to follow the boundary of Beauchief Park – a large area of open space that separates the ward from communities in Beauchief and Greenhill. The boundary then goes around the back of Lower Bradway so that this area is reunited with the rest of Bradway in Dore and Totley Ward.

Broader context and rationale As noted above, the current Dore and Totley ward is around 5% smaller than average and forecast to reduce in size slightly in the medium term due to limited possibilities for development. It works well as a ward, with an older and more affluent than average community, which is also much less ethnically and economically diverse than the city as a whole.

It is proposed to increase the size of Dore and Totley to allow for electorate moving towards the south west from Central ward, and in reflection of the low levels of development and growth relative to the rest of the city.

The community of Bradway was split at the last review between Dore and Totley and Beauchief and Greenhill. The very active Bradway Action Group and a number of local residents have sought for the community to be reunited within one ward, and we have worked to achieve this. We have also included the community of 421 electors at the bottom of Abbey Lane (currently in Ecclesall) in order to reduce the size of Ecclesall, and maintaining the railway line and river as the boundary here. Liberal Democrat councillors would prefer to see this community included with Beauchief and Greenhill (see Appendix B).

At the north of the ward, we have included 995 electors at Parkhead in Dore and Totley to increase electoral equality.

The proposed ward is now 5.68% over the city average, but limited possibilities for development in the ward mean that electoral equality is likely to improve in the medium term.

The ward will continue to be focused around the village of Dore which provides a range of local and district facilities, including King Ecgbert’s secondary school, which serves the whole of the ward. Most of the other communities in the ward are clustered around Dore and tend to look towards it for services. This is not true for Whirlow and Parkhead which will tend to look towards Ecclesall more, but electoral equality considerations mean that it has not been possible to include them in that ward. The area as a whole is also brought together by good transport links, including major bus routes along Abbeydale Road in the south and Ecclesall Road South in the north of the ward. There is also a train station at Dore, which provides commuter services to Sheffield and Manchester. As a whole, the ward works well, and reuniting Bradway will improve the boundary further.

Proposed ward characteristics Dore and Totley Ward lies at the south western edge of the city. Communities living in Totley, Bradway, Dore, Whirlow and Abbeydale fall into this area. A large proportion of the area is rural including Burbage Moor and Fox House and there is good access to open countryside and the Peak District National Park.

Dore is one of Sheffield’s most affluent neighbourhoods and remains almost a separate village. There are many large, high‐quality owner‐occupied houses with one small pocket of social housing.

Slightly east of Dore and along Abbeydale Road towards the city centre is a residential area at the intersection of Abbeydale Road South and Abbey Lane, whilst towards the north of the ward are the communities of Whirlow and Park Head. There are excellent public transport links between the separate communities, as well as similar demographic characteristics and interests.

Totley is made up of three distinct areas, Totley Rise, Totley and New Totley. The housing stock in Totley is mainly owner occupied with a small amount of social housing. Totley Rise consists predominantly of owner‐occupied post‐war semi‐detached houses close to the shopping area on the main road.

Approximately half of the Totley neighbourhood falls into open countryside. Excellent transport links include bus routes along Abbeydale Road from Dore and Totley and regular rail services from the Dore and Totley Station. Bradway does not have immediate access to Abbeydale Road but connections to the city centre are still fair. Dore's distinctive village centre is a conservation area with a good choice of shops, pubs and restaurants.

Upper and Lower Bradway are reunited in Dore and Totley ward in the current proposals, having been split previously. The majority of homes in Bradway are owner occupied detached or semi ‐ detached houses, largely built in the first half of the twentieth century, and an active community group works in the area.

Consultation The Ecclesall ward forum were consulted on the Ecclesall ward proposal and agreed with the proposed boundary changes affecting Ecclesall and Dore and Totley, including those at Parkhead. Bradway Action Group have been consulted over the proposed changes and are supportive of the changes affecting Bradway.

Ward 27: Ecclesall Electorate 2013: 15,559 (9.80%) Electorate 2020: 16,058 (8.14%)

Proposed ward boundaries We are proposing to make some reasonably significant changes to Ecclesall ward, mainly necessitated by the ‘knock on’ effects of reducing the size of Central ward and the subsequent changes to Nether Edge ward. However, we believe that the revised ward boundary still meets the LGBCE’s three criteria.

The proposed new Ecclesall ward takes the railway line between Sheffield and Manchester as its southern boundary, then takes in part of Ecclesall Wood to the west. From the top of the woods, the boundary goes behind houses at Parkhead, before following behind fields to Ringinglow Road. Representing a significant change to the current boundary, the large rural area around Ringinglow village itself has been moved into neighbouring Fulwood ward. Therefore, at Ringinglow Road, the boundary goes along Cottage Lane and around the Common Lane Recreation Grounds (used and cared for by Ecclesall community groups), before skirting the housing at Bents Green, and following firstly the Porter Brook, and then the boundary of Endcliffe Park. At Hunter’s Bar roundabout, the boundary includes Ecclesall Road, encompassing the Ecclesall Road and Greystones community to Banner Cross, at which point it takes the hard natural boundary of Brincliffe Edge to Bannerdale Road, and then to the railway.

Broader context and rationale Although the current ward is 4.9% over average at present, relatively little opportunity for development in the ward means that this is forecast to reduce to 3% by 2020 based on current boundaries. We are proposing to make some significant changes to Ecclesall ward in order to take on 2256 electors from Carterknowle in Nether Edge ward to allow Nether Edge to take on significant numbers of electors from Central. This is offset by changing the boundaries with neighbouring Dore and Totley (995 electors at Parkhead) and Fulwood (195 electors at Ringinglow and across the rural area). This leaves Ecclesall at 8.14% larger than the city ward average by 2020. This is larger than we would ideally like, and a number of options have been considered for reducing the size, but have not been found to be acceptable to councillors or the local community.

Despite being slightly larger than average, the ward as proposed is logical and coherent. It consists of the linked communities of Greystones, Ecclesall, Carter Knowle and Millhouses, and is brought together by one of the city’s main arterial routes – Ecclesall Road South – which runs through the centre of the ward, and provides retail facilities as well as being a major public transport route. The ward is well bounded by the two valleys of the Porter and Sheaf , and by the sharp rise of Brincliffe Edge and the open spaces of Ecclesall Woods.

The Liberal Democrat group would prefer to see the boundaries at Parkhead amended to move this area from Dore and Totley into Ecclesall, but this is not proposed as it would leave Ecclesall at 9% over the ward average. The proposals can be found at Appendix B.

Proposed ward characteristics The proposed Ecclesall ward is made up of Carterknowle, Millhouses, Abbeydale and Bents Green including. It includes Millhouses Park in the south of the ward, part of Ecclesall Woods, the Porter Valley and Banner Cross open space on Ecclesall Road.

The majority of properties in Bents Green, Ecclesall and Millhouses are owner occupied by families. The majority of properties are larger than average and in private ownership, with a community that is largely white British, although there is a higher level of private rented property and a more mixed demographic in the Carterknowle area.

The housing in Greystones is slightly different as it is comprised of late Victorian and Edwardian terraces as well as inter‐war semi‐detached properties. Housing is predominantly owner occupied with some ‘houses in multiple occupancy’, commonly older terraces housing students, due to Greystones' proximity to universities and hospitals.

There is a good range of local shops at Bannerdale on Ecclesall Road and Bents Green. The A625 Ecclesall Road and A621 Abbeydale Road border the ward giving good transport links to the Peak District National Park and the city centre.

Carterknowle is a proposed addition to Ecclesall ward – the area already has close links with Millhouses, with the Carterknowle and Millhouses Community Group working across the existing ward boundaries, and Millhouses park being a focal point for local families.

Consultation Ecclesall Ward Forum has seen proposals at a slightly earlier stage of the process and the current proposals take into account their views. Suggestions to reduce the size of the ward by including the

44 southerly part of Ecclesall Road or by splitting Bents Green were not looked upon favourably, and the forum was supportive of proposals to move Parkhead into Dore and Totley and to include Carterknowle within the ward.

Ward 28: Fulwood Electorate 2013: 14,906 (5.08%) Electorate 2020: 15,315 (3.13%)

Proposed Ward Boundary The geographically large Fulwood ward generally works well in its current configuration, and we are therefore proposing to keep the ward largely unchanged, apart from making some reasonably minor alterations to account for ‘knock on’ changes arising from the changes to Central ward.

In the north, the proposed ward boundary will follow the Rivelin valley from the city boundary to Wolf Wheel, where it heads south. In a change from the current boundary, the Carsick area has been brought into Fulwood as the community more naturally fits with this ward. Therefore the boundary follows Redmires Road before dropping down Carsick Hill and following the contour of the hill above Ranmoor before joining Manchester Road for a short distance before dropping steeply down Shore Lane. The boundary with the new Botanicals ward is largely unchanged form its current configuration, delineating the border between Broomhill and Endcliffe. However, the boundary has been altered to follow the line of Endliffe Wood, thereby moving the Glade and the Glen into Fulwood. The boundary then follows the line of the Porter Valley as far as Hangingwater Road, where it rejoins the steeply rising Highcliffe Road, skirting round the back of Bents Green, which lies in Ecclesall ward, and heading down towards Parkhead. The border with Dore and Totley ward is formed by the Limb Valley for most of its length before joining Ringinglow Road past Ringinglow village. The city boundary forms the ward’s western edge.

Broader Context and Rationale The west of Fulwood ward is very rural, dominated by the Hallam Moors. Therefore the vast majority of the ward’s population is in the eastern part of the ward which is suburban in nature. The ward is focused around a number of linked neighbourhoods in the west of the city, including Fulwood, Nether Green, Ranmoor and Endcliffe. The high frequency 120 bus route runs through most of the ward towards the city centre and acts as one of the unifying features of the ward. As with other wards in this part of the city, the northern and southern boundaries are defined by river valleys which give hard geographical boundaries, and in the case of the southern boundary this runs effectively the whole length of the ward, making the distinction between communities in Ecclesall ward (particularly Greystones and Bents Green) very clear. In the north of the ward, although the boundary on the ground is not as clear, Crosspool (Crookes ward) and Ranmoor (Fulwood ward) are identifiable as separate communities, and we therefore feel justified in including them in different wards.

Liberal Democrat councillors would prefer to see the Carsick area remain in Crookes. Their proposal is at Appendix B.

Proposed ward characteristics Communities within the area live at Ringinglow, Lodge Moor, Fulwood, Ranmoor, scattered throughout the rural area and in the west area of Endcliffe which is shared with Ecclesall ward.

A large proportion of the area is rural from Ecclesall Road to the Rivelin Valley and includes Hallam Moors and the Mayfield Valley. Part of Lodge Moor lies in the Peak District National Park, while residents in Fulwood benefit from countryside and woodland of the Porter and Mayfield Valleys.

Attractive and very green, the areas of Endcliffe (including the two roads affected by the boundary change with Botanicals) and Ranmoor are more surburban, but fit well demographically with the remainder of the ward, and their facilities are shared by residents in the rural areas. Both Endcliffe and Ranmoor have high proportions of students living in largely purpose‐built student accommodation, as well as smaller numbers of students living in private rented accommodation and a high proportion of affluent residents with relatively little ethnic diversity in the ward. There is a small, high‐quality shopping area on the Fulwood Road at Ranmoor itself. Public transport throughout the ward is excellent with a regular bus route running out to the outer fringe of the city in Lodge Moor.

Lodge Moor has the highest proportion of council housing in the South West concentrated on the Westminster Estate and much of it houses older people. The area has a higher than average elderly population. Housing in Fulwood varies from Victorian and older properties in the village centre to 1960s and 1970s built owner occupied detached and semi‐detached properties higher up the valley slopes.

Taking the boundary with Crookes along Redmires and Sandygate Road allows the small cluster of streets south of these to be reunited with the remainder of the Carsick area, recognising that they look down the hill towards Fulwood and that they are the only streets not to be in the Hallam Primary School catchment area.